You're All I Ever Wanted
by SweetandSmiley.xoxo
Summary: Adrianna Summers is back for her seventh year at Hogwarts. After a three year absence because of a devastating loss, she finds herself getting used to the old routine. She's chosen to let go of the past, no matter how hard or how long it took her to accept it. What happens when a certain someone from the past catches her eye? Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**You're All I Ever Wanted**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the amazing series of Harry Potter, though I really wish I did. I only own the plot of this fanfic and my OC, Adrianna Summers. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Back to Hogwarts I Go 

_Beep. Beep. _I honked my car horn twice at the maniac in front of me who honestly thought that going 30 in a 60 km zone was practical. Please. Tell it to the judge. I have way more important matters to attend to at the moment. Well, I guess I shouldn't use the term "important", as I only intend to race home to read the new book I bought earlier that day. It's full of wondrous poetry written by all the favourites, and my sure favourite Robert Frost. How I love his poem "The Road Not Taken"! Speaking of road, _this_ road seems to last forever just because of this slowpoke in front of me. _Come on,_ I thought, _I can hear the poetry already calling me! _I guess you could say reading is my best friend.

After what felt like hours behind the steering wheel, I finally arrived home. What a great feeling it was to be home again for the summer break. I may be seventeen, but I still get home-sick, especially when all you hear for a straight 10 months is the casting of spells. _Expelliarmus. Stupefy. _It gets aggravating after a while. It's also quite odd for a Ravenclaw to not miss the Hogwarts homework…but I guess I'm not just any normal Ravenclaw girl.

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;_

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference.

Such wonderful literature. I read it over about 20 times. Not that I needed the practice or anything, as I already memorized it in its entirety. Ever since I was a little girl, nothing got between me and my books, especially my precious poems. I always wanted to become a writer, but after receiving the letter from Hogwarts, my dreams became different. Instead of spending hours on end trying to conjure up the perfect stanza for a new piece, I would have to reread "Hogwarts: A History" yet again to complete a Charms essay.

Perhaps it's a good thing that I had to leave Hogwarts when I was 14. Year 4 was one I'll never forget. It was the year that my brother passed away. His name was Garrett, and he was only two years older than me. We were inseparable. He always looked out for me and did the usual "big brother" stuff—beat up bullies, tell off Stacy Martin (my arch nemesis), and warn my past boyfriends of what would happen if they "crossed the line". My parents went berserk, and they had every right to be. I mean, losing a son? That's at the top of the list. But for me, it was losing my best friend. Sure I had lots of great friends at Hogwarts, but none of them came close to Garrett. Well, maybe, ALMOST, one friend…

Page after page, I turned the book, feeling the sun beat down on my skin. I loved the outdoors, especially my backyard. I chose to sit on the swinging bench under the big oak tree. It was my favourite spot to read. The best part was that the lake was right next to me. I could hear its peaceful rush of water, and I wished right there and then that time would freeze. I knew I had to return to Hogwarts sooner or later. It was my last year anyway. But… did I really want to?

* * *

"Make sure you bundle up during the winter. Wear your scarf always!"

"Yes, yes, I know Mom. You've told me over and over again. Remember, we've been through this before. Plus, I'm seventeen now. I can take care of myself."

Leaving to board the Hogwarts Express was always, always the hardest thing to do. Indeed, I craved freedom, to be away from the Muggle world for some time, but parting from the two people I love the most was also a challenge. They've definitely gotten more protective ever since Garrett died.

"Stay away from the boys, Adrianna Summers, especially that one…what was his name again?"

"Let's just avoid the topic, Dad. It's really not the way I want to see you off."

My dad and I were close, too. He taught me how to play all kinds of sports. No, I don't mean Quidditch. I mean basketball, volleyball, tennis, baseball, you name it. Talking about boys with him was never easy, and I don't think it's a comfortable conversation for any father and daughter, for that matter. The fact that he used my full name made me clearly see that he was being dead serious, since everyone usually just calls me Anna. I decided not to give him the ultimate satisfaction of knowing the crush I had back in fourth year, a.k.a the boy he would eventually beat to a pulp. Anyway, that's the past, right?

"I promise I'll write to you every month. Actually, make that every week." I corrected myself after seeing the death look my mom gave me.

"Love you both very much!" And with one final wave, I boarded the Hogwarts Express.

* * *

I made my way to an empty compartment I saw. I had a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. It didn't hit me till then. I realized why I doubted my return to the school. _I haven't seen anybody here since three years ago. Will they remember me? Will they recognize me? Will they care? _I have to admit myself, I have changed a lot. Not just my looks, but my entire personality. I guess that's what happens when you enter the modern civilization of the Muggle world.

I slid the compartment door closed, and reached into my bag to grab my favourite poetry book. It's what got me through the summer. It deserved to be opened one last time before I got to Hogwarts. Before I read the book, I took out my compact mirror that I always carry in my bag. I held it right up to my face, as if seeing myself for the first time. Long, wavy, dark brown hair. Olive skin. Green, hazel eyes. Long lashes that bore the trace of mascara. Some dark freckles on my cheeks. Shiny, glossed lips. _Yeah, this will do. _

"Merlin, Anna, is that you?!"

I instantly turned my head after the mini heart attack this person just gave me. But after seeing who my guest was, I wasn't at all upset.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Cho Chang. How art thou this fine morn?" Cho and I were best friends ever since first year. It was as if the sorting hat deliberately placed me in Ravenclaw just so I could meet her. Wow, she still looked the same, even after all this time. Oh, and about the poetic talk, it's a thing we have. I guess it's an old habit.

"Pleasant, my dear friend, Adrianna. I can't talk like this anymore without holding in my excitement! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in forever. How are your parents? Are you here for seventh year? You look so different!"

"Slow down there Cho. I'm only one person! But, yes, I'm here for seventh year. My parents, well, they're alright. And, about my looks, I guess you can say I finally grew out of my awkward stage."

She laughed hysterically. I thought she would never stop. _Huh, maybe Cho's changed, too. _

"You're surely going to turn heads this year, Anna, more so than you did before!"

Now, it was my turn to laugh. The rest of the train ride was filled with laughter, jokes, and pure catching up with my good friend, Cho Chang. It was a great way to start off my new year.

* * *

_Back to the same old same old, _I thought as Dumbledore was saying his usual welcome speech to the students. Of course, before dinner, it was time for the annual sorting of the first years.

I nudged Cho's elbow, who was sitting beside me at the Ravenclaw table. "Remember when that was us?" She chuckled and shook her head. Typical Cho, always level-headed and so appropriate. My thoughts wandered for a while, until I heard Dumbledore's voice booming around me, immediately bringing me back to reality.

"Let the feast begin!" I internally readied myself for the golden platters that were about to appear. I could almost picture the succulent lamb chops, the roasted garlic potatoes… I looked up for a split second, only to find that my eyes found a pair of blue-grey ones. The exact pair of eyes I wasn't ready to face.

* * *

**There's the first chapter! Please read and review! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Behind Those Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the awesome Harry Potter series. I only own my OC and the plot of this fanfic.

**Cedric P.O.V.**

Summer was… amazing. I truly don't know how else to put it. My parents were overjoyed to see me. It was like the moment I walked through the door, they hadn't seen me since I was born. I get it; I'm an only child, their only pride and joy. Even though I'm a seventeen year-old boy, I still love my parents. After all, they're the ones who gave me _everything, _and above all, let me go to the school of my dreams. Hogwarts is my home away from home. The people there aren't just fellow schoolmates; they're like my second family. Being away from them for a whole two months was going to be hell, but hey, it was only a matter of time, right? Plus, I have two wonderful parents, not to mention a great girlfriend I couldn't wait to see again.

Cho and I got together shortly after the end of fourth year. I don't know what brought the feelings on to be honest. We never really interacted come to think of it, except for Quidditch. I guess _she_ was the only reason Cho and I had started speaking. No, I inwardly scolded myself for even thinking of her. _Don't be weak Cedric. Let it go. _

My thoughts landed back on the thought of me and Cho. It's been three years, three near perfect years. I don't want to sound like an arrogant arse, but I think we're Hogwarts' number one couple. The hoots and hollers say it all. Sometimes I wonder if our relationship would ever become something more. It is my last year, so where do we go from here? I didn't want to even think of my Hogwarts career coming to a close. It was one of those touchy subjects for me. Whenever someone asks me what I plan to do afterwards, I always reply with the same thing: "I'm not positive. But hey, my parents both say hi." So really, I can't quite say if Cho and I were "meant to be". There always seemed to be doubt inside my heart…

* * *

"Hey Ced, are you alright, mate?"

My closest friend, Derrick Aidan, broke me out of my momentary trance as I mindlessly stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express. "I'm fine," I replied calmly, and I was. There was only one thing on my mind the whole time: Where the hell was Cho?

Honestly, where could she be? She usually can't wait to see me, to ask me about my summer, to just spend time with me. We've been on the train for already four hours. She should be with my right now. Should I go look for her? I mentally contemplated this for what felt like hours, but came to the conclusion that she was too intelligent to get herself into trouble. I'd see her in time anyway.

I dozed off for a couple of hours until my ears seemed to regain their senses. My eyes may be closed, but it's not like I'm all of a sudden a deaf bloke.

"…yeah I know, she's back! She's actually back! I couldn't believe it. I overhead Potter and his friends talking about it. From what I hear, she's quite the looker now." I could pinpoint Derrick's voice from a mile away, especially when it came to talking about the female specimen. I could just imagine him wiggling his eyebrows. I moved up from my sleeping position.

"Merlin Cedric, you scared me!

"Shut it, Derrick. You know I can't help engage in a friendly conversation. What's this I hear about a girl 'coming back'?" Suddenly, the compartment got very quiet. Derrick, Robert, and Andrew all stopped talking and laughing, each trying to avoid my gaze.

"Come on mates, don't be such gits. Just tell me." I was starting to get annoyed. Was the news really _that _bad?  
"Ced…it's uh…it's Adrianna Summers."

They were right. The news really was that bad.

* * *

Don't get me wrong, I truly admire Dumbledore; he's a great headmaster. But his welcome speeches are beginning to bore me. I mean, it's the same thing year after year. _Sorting time_, I thought to myself as I eyed the tiny first years that nervously made their way to the front of the Great Hall. I caught sight of Cho at the Ravenclaw table. She sent me her usual stunning smile. It takes my breath away every time. However, it was the person next to her that caught my eye.

_Is that…it can't be. She doesn't even look the same! _I felt like I was on the brink of insanity right there and then. But, it was her eyes that confirmed it all. That intense shade of green and hazel. Everything else clicked into place. Those long lashes. That perfectly tanned skin. Those full lips. That long, wavy, dark brown hair. It was as if Cho didn't even exist anymore. _No Cedric, get a hold of yourself! Who's the girl that's loved you faithfully for the past three years? Who's been through it all with you? Who do you know you love? _Cho was the only girl my responses gave rise to.

I smiled at my rationalizing the situation. My thoughts were only slightly stirred when _she_ looked up and saw me looking directly at her. _Shit_, really? Do I really need this now? She looked stunned, as if she were looking at a ghost, but there was something else in her eyes. It took me a while to figure out what it was: a burning fire of both sadness and anger.

* * *

"Hey," I recognized that sweet, angelic voice anywhere.

"Hey, I got worried when I didn't see you on the train…" I let my voice trail off, hoping she'd catch on. I mentally slapped myself. It's the amazing Cho Chang, of course she'd catch on!

"Yeah, I know…but…," she seemed hesitant to continue. "It's Anna, Cedric. She's back for seventh year." I saw it coming, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Cho that I aimlessly stared at an old friend for more than five minutes. I know Cho, and it wouldn't turn out pretty.

"Oh, well, that's good news, I guess. I hope you guys enjoyed each other's company, yeah?"

"We did! It was so great seeing her again! Well, I best be heading off to bed now. It's so nice seeing you again. I missed you so much," she said sadly and I could already see the tears starting to prick at the corners of her eyes.

I lifted her chin with my right hand, forcing her to look up at me. I wiped away some of the fallen tears with my other hand. "We're together again, are we not? We're going to make it another memorable year. Promise. I love you," I said before capturing her lips in a light kiss.

"I love you too, Cedric. Goodnight." She walked off quietly down the corridor towards the Ravenclaw quarters. I could still hear her subtle sniffling as her footsteps became fainter and fainter. Strangely enough, I heard another set of footsteps coming from the opposite direction. I expected it to be either Filch or a professor, but my breath nearly hitched in my throat when she came closer.

"Cho? Is that you? You really should be heading back to the…" she stopped mid-sentence when she saw who it actually was. She stared at me, no, glared at me with eyes that could kill, literally.

I waited a few seconds to respond, quite unsure of what to say. "She actually just left." Why was I talking?

"Great, bye." She immediately turned on her heel, already following the direction Cho went. Something inside me made me open my mouth. "Wait," I jogged to catch up to her accelerating pace. "Wait, Anna!" I shouted her name and she stopped dead in her tracks. I was momentarily scared, unsure of what would happen, especially at night in Hogwarts.

"What the hell do you want Cedric Diggory?!" she snarled at me, those intense eyes burning holes in mine.

"I just wanted to welcome you back…" I sounded pathetic.

"Ha," it was a harsh laugh. "Why? Was fourth year not enough satisfaction for you? I'll have you know that I've come a long way, a very long way since then, Diggory. I also see you and Cho have come an even longer way." She practically spat the last part with such venom it made me shudder to the core. I looked at her and saw that her expression had somewhat softened to the Anna I knew. "I didn't come back here because of what happened. I didn't come here to ridicule the past. I came back here to have a future."

"Anna-," I pleaded.

"Adrianna," she abruptly corrected me.

"Yes, well, please just listen to me..."

"I'm tired of being hurt, of being apologized to over and over again. You're the last person I need this from. I'm not asking for any explanation, I'm asking for you to leave me alone." With that, she took her leave, disappearing into the depths of the castle.

* * *

**I know you're probably wondering what happened during fourth year... it shall be revealed later! Also, I want to inform you that the relationship between Cedric and Anna will start off rocky, extremely rocky. It will take some time to develop, but I have huge plans for this fanfic. Please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Remembering and Forgetting 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. I only own my plot, my OC and any other OC's that appear throughout this fanfic.

**Anna P.O.V**

I stretched my arms before getting up from bed. I didn't get back until almost midnight after my encounter with Cedric the other night. It was something that could've been avoided. Why am I so stupid sometimes? I looked to the bed across from mine only to find Cho still sound asleep. _Oh Cho, sweet and innocent Cho. I hope you realize what you're doing with him. _I never quite told her exactly what went down in fourth year. Despite the fact that she was, and still is, a very trusted friend, I don't know if she'd understand. She'd probably just judge me, get all mad, and side with Cedric. I know she'd be biased because of their relationship. _Yuck!_ I think I just vomited in my mouth. Just thinking of being in a relationship with that nasty, slimy, no good prat would turn anyone mad.

Oh, who am I kidding? The whole female population of Hogwarts is head over heels for the Hufflepuff. Top of the class, popular, personable, Head Boy, not to mention good-looking. I chided myself for letting myself praise the git. No matter how many horrible things I could say about Cedric Diggory, the one thing I can't do is lie, lie about hating him forever. Truth is, it didn't start off this way. Believe it or not, we used to be good friends, might I even say best friends. My father always told me that sometimes people start off one way in the world, but then after life's through with them, they end up a different person. I had yet to figure out if that applied in a positive or negative sense because with me, it usually turned out to be a bad thing. Cedric was one of those "bad things".

Hell yes we used to be best friends. He and Cho were my two closest friends. Actually come to think of it, I'd say I was closer to Cedric than the Asian perfectionist. We became close when we were both chosen for Seekers on our houses' Quidditch teams. Every match was a time to compete, but after starting to get to know each other, we grew close. We began eating together at breakfast, meeting up after class, studying in the library together, and even going to Hogsmeade when our homework loads were light. Cho obviously noticed, but didn't mind. She was happy to see that I was finally branching out from our tight-knit duo. Again, I was a very awkward child. I never understood why Cedric Diggory would even give me the light of day.

Sure, I'd heard _plenty_ of Cedric Diggory before even coming to Hogwarts. His father worked for the Ministry of Magic and was said to be a noble wizard. His son was only expected to be that, and much more. The thing about Cedric was that he was a genuine person, a trait hard to find in people. No matter how much pressure was on him to be the perfect person, he never gave in to what other people expected or wanted. He was always just himself.

Cho, quite honestly, never truly understood Cedric. She didn't understand why he did the things he did, why he never caved in, and so on. I often felt that perhaps she would never understand the friendship Cedric and I had. It puzzles me even more now because of the fact that they're together.

Somewhere along the way, I started to develop feelings for Cedric. I was a young teenage girl and he was the popular guy in school. Come on, it was inevitable. That complicated things even more when he started to have feelings for Cho. I was pissed beyond belief. Even though she was my good friend, I couldn't help but feel jealous of her being the one his heart longed for. I never told Cho of the feelings I harboured for him, the situation would just turn really ugly. To make matters worse, I got news from my parents regarding my brother. He was sick, and I don't mean "under the weather" or "has the flu", I meant sick, as in disease sick. I knew something was up one day when I got home school and my father was trying to sooth my mother out of an insane crying fit. The dinner table was quiet that night.

Garrett wasn't a wizard. We drifted farther apart, but still remained close through constant letters. One letter from my parents almost ended my life. I remember exactly what that letter said, the tears that went into writing each and every word. That was the day I found out my brother wouldn't live forever. I used to think that people could live forever, and I have a horrible combination of magic and poetry to thank for that belief.

That letter started the downfall of my fourth year. I stopped showing up to class, stopped talking to people. Consequently, my grades suffered greatly (which was odd because I'm a Ravenclaw) and so did my social life. I stopped talking to Cho and Cedric. Cho would try to get me out of my depressive state, but Cedric…Cedric let it happen. He didn't even _try _to ask what was going on. Popularity consumed him. When people asked me where he was, I always responded with a monotone, "I don't know, and I don't care." Yeah, people started to stay away from me, too. That was when I really turned to poetry. I started hiding behind my books and books of poetry to escape a world that was crashing down. I admit it, I became a loser. Nobody would talk to me, I wouldn't talk to anybody, I quit the Quidditch team, I flunked classes. It got to the point where casting _Avada Kedavra _on myself seemed like the best option. But there was something inside of me that told me to keep going. It was a little hope, but it would do for the time.

So, how does this relate to my hatred for Cedric now? Well, he eventually gave in, gave in to what everyone else in the world wanted. He became the Golden Boy, getting all the attention, and he basked in it. He loved the attention from the teachers, the girls, his friends, the entire student body! Cho was the one who gave him the most attention, and that still makes me fume inside. Just because I became Hogwarts' most unpopular, anti-social student doesn't mean I don't take notice of the things that go on. Anyway, one day I went to go study in the library, something I hadn't done in a very long time. I brought one of my poetry books just in case. When I finished up, I seemed to have left my poetry book on the table I was studying at. It didn't show up for a whole week. I started to get really worried. One weekend afternoon, when I was walking through the courtyard, I saw a large group of boys. And who else would be in the middle of it all other than the famous Cedric Diggory. The boys were cheering him on, and a red flag went on in my head. _Something is definitely wrong._ That's when I saw Cedric holding my poetry book. I probably looked like a statue to everyone around. I didn't move, as if my feet were permanently glued to the courtyard's stone floor. That's when one of his lunatic friends spotted me.

_"Well, well, well, if it isn't the loser herself. Anna, how nice of you to join us." _

_I didn't bother to look at anybody else. I just stared at Cedric who had a firm grip on my precious book. _

_"Cedric, please give me my book back. Please, you don't understand how much that book means to me…it's…it's…" I pleaded and begged, not caring if tears were already flowing freely down my face._

_"Oh Cedric, please, please!" The friend who acknowledged me earlier mocked my desperate tone. _

_Cedric said absolutely nothing the whole time. He just looked at me, and then started laughing hysterically. He actually thought it was funny. So much for "best friend"._

_"Anna, it's just a book. Plus, we ALL know about your little crush on Ceddy here. Don't worry, though, only the ENTIRE school knows. Cedric told us all about the way you look at him with those green eyes of yours, the way you laugh at all his jokes, the way you try to hold his hand during those study sessions…"I could feel myself sniffling profoundly, my tears coming down like a waterfall. I noticed that when his friend said that, the smile was wiped off Cedric's face. He stopped laughing and kept looking at me. What was the look in his eyes? Pity? Sympathy? I couldn't tell. Did I care? I realized I no longer cared about his opinion. _

_Something inside me snapped. Don't ask what it was because I don't know if I'd be able to tell you. All I know is that I had the nerve to walk right up to his friend, and slap him right across the face. Talk about "wiping that smile off your face". He touched his cheek where I hit him, eyes enraged, and nostrils flared. _

_"Cedric! What the hell, do something!"_

_"What the hell am I supposed to do, Derrick?"_

_"Tell her off! People like her don't deserve to treat people like us like she just did."_

_People like us? What does that even mean? After slapping Derrick across the face, I had a newfound fire burning inside of me. I took that chance to confront Cedric Diggory himself. _

_"I don't know who the hell you or your friends think you are," I jabbed him hard in the chest with my finger. "But I think it's time YOU realize that the world doesn't revolve around Cedric fucking Diggory!" He visibly flinched at my language. I never swore in front of him before. "Learn that now before your head swells up ten times bigger than it already has! You may not care that you lost your best friend, considering everyone else around you is dying to become your new one, but I never thought I'd see the day when you, Cedric, would do something like this. I admired you because of your selflessness, your humility. I see that it was all just one big joke!" I snatched my poetry book from a very stunned looking Cedric. "Have a nice life. I know _I_ will because you're no longer going to be a part of it." I stomped off, not even bothering to take one last look at the person who used to mean so much to me. _

That was the last time I spoke to or saw Cedric before taking my leave after fourth year. Of course, the reason for my absence was out of my control. Death is never something you ask for, it's something that just comes.

* * *

I remember Garrett's funeral like it was just yesterday. I hope nobody caught my farewell speech to my big brother on video because I probably stopped to wipe my face about ten times. It was like I was the ocean, made of tons and tons of water. I chose to read my favourite poem out of my favourite poetry book, a.k.a. the book Cedric stole. That book was a gift from Garrett on my eleventh birthday. It was the one thing I had to remember him by. I wasn't kidding when I said that it meant so much to me.

_Thank you all for gathering here today to help mourn the loss of my brother, Garrett. It really means a lot to me, especially to my parents…Garrett, you were my older brother. Not just because you came out two years earlier than I did, but because you were the one who took on the responsibility of taking care of me when Mom and Dad couldn't. You were my best friend, the one I talked to about all my problems, the one who beat up whoever hurt me, the one who never told anyone my secrets._

_I remember when we were little kids and we accidently broke Mom's special vase from Grandma after a vigorous game of tag. We stashed all the pieces behind the sofa in the basement and blamed the whole thing on Cousin Elaine when she came over the following day. Sorry it took this long to admit, Mom. _

_On my eleventh birthday, Garrett gave me a beautiful book full of all my favourite poetry. He knew me all too well. This one in particular is my ultimate favourite. It's called "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. _

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;_

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference.

_You've taken your path, Garrett, even if you left me behind. I forgive you for ditching me like you used to in the playground. It'll be a hard road for me to take without having you by my side, big brother, but know that for you, it's a chance I'm willing to take. I love you. _

* * *

Garrett's funeral was the day that poem became something much more to me than just a collection of words. It became a goal I had to achieve. I wasn't going to let his death, or Cedric Diggory, stop me from living my life, from chasing my dreams. I vowed to myself that day, June 25 of 2000 that I would do everything and anything I could to get myself back on track, no matter how many changes I'd need to make. That was the day I took a look at myself in the mirror, and decided I would work hard to perfect my face, my personality, my everything. It took a lot of work, but Garrett was always the one in my heart telling me to keep going. _He_ was my inspiration.

* * *

I got dressed in a dark pair of skinny jeans, a white tank top, and a blue sweater. I slipped on some flats and looked at myself in the mirror. My wavy brown hair was tied in a loose plait that reached below my chest. Weekends were the best, a chance to get out of those itchy school uniforms. Cho was still fast asleep. I decided to go on to breakfast without her. She wouldn't mind anyway, it was Cho. Nothing ever gets her down. Besides, I was starving!

As I made my way to the Great Hall, I felt like I forgot to wear pants or something. People kept staring at me! _Really people? You know who I am, I don't need this kind of attention!_ I caught the eyes of Marcus Flint and Draco Malfoy, in particular, boys that never used to give a damn about me. They looked me up and down, and I couldn't help but giggly and blush slightly. I guess I really did grow out of that "ugly duckling" stage. My dad's words suddenly rang through my head. "_Stay away from the boys, Adrianna Summers." Not likely,_ I thought, as I absentmindedly sent a wink some seventh year Gryffindor's way.

I took an empty seat at the Ravenclaw table and began gobbling down a plate of fruit, bacon, eggs, and potatoes. I could care less about the people around me that would call me a pig or a slob. Screw them, right? I reached for the pepper shaker, and looked up momentarily, only to find all the eyes of the Great Hall on me. Instantly, the hall was filled with chatter and whispering. I chuckled to myself and shook my head, but not before seeing the distinct eyes of Cedric Diggory.

He looked like he was in deep thought. I remember that look one morning in third year when we had a big Potions test. He looked like he was going to pass out in class when he reached the essay questions. I laughed out loud, which startled him as it was the first sign of "friendliness" I'd given him since I arrived back. Then I remembered, _I'm supposed to hate him, not act like we're buds._ I immediately put on my straight face and went back to working on my food.

_Forget about him Anna. Forget about it all._

* * *

**I decided to insert this chapter because it explains the reason behind Anna's hate towards Cedric. It's characterization, right? Enjoy! Please read and review!**

**Oh, and I think I'll follow an alternation POV pattern between Anna and Cedric for the rest of the story! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: What's Done Is Done

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter series. I do own my OCs and my plot though!

**Cedric P.O.V.**

I woke up late that morning after having a long night with Cho. No, I don't mean _that_ kind of long night, I mean the kind of long night where she wouldn't stop crying because she was so sorry that we didn't get to spend a lot of time together over the summer. I kept trying to tell her that it wasn't her fault, but you know women. They're persistent people.

* * *

_ I gave up after a while and just let her cry into my shoulder as I stroked her long, black hair. The fire in the Hufflepuff common room crackled with each sob Cho made. It took her a while to calm down before we could actually have a normal conversation. _

_"I love you, Cho. Stop blaming yourself for everything. You've done nothing wrong," I told her, then kissing her on the cheek. _

_"Thank you, Cedric. I really needed to hear that…But you know, Anna coming back and all…"_

_"Ha, yeah, Anna…" Things got a little awkward after that. I didn't say anything about my encounter with her the other night. I couldn't tell Cho! She'd just assume something was up. I don't even think she knew about what happened back in fourth year. _

_"She's pretty different now, you know Ced. She's not the same shy girl. Fourth year was a hard one for her. I mean, she completely blocked us out of her lives! Really, what was that about?"_

_"Oh, really? I haven't talked to her since she arrived…" I felt horrible lying to my loving girlfriend. _

_"You really should, you know. I think she'll be happy to have you as a friend again." _

_"I guess." Yeah right! She made it pretty clear the other night that being friends is the last thing on her mind._

_"I'm feeling better, Ced. Thanks for always being there for me. I love you so much," she placed her lips atop mine and took her leave. _

_Even Cho sees that she's different. More importantly, Cho doesn't know what happened in fourth year! I slapped my hand against my forehead. I couldn't keep it from her, but I surely couldn't tell her yet. It would have to remain a secret for now…_

* * *

Before going to sleep that night, I thought about all that Cho had said earlier. How she talked about Anna, how much she's changed, how she completely blocked us out of her life in fourth year. Ah, fourth year, what a great year. That's the year I became really close with Derrick. That's the year I went from bottom to top in Hogwarts. That's the year Cho and I got together…but that was also the year Anna and I drifted apart. To be honest, I didn't know what triggered me distancing myself from her. Oh yeah, now I do, the thirst and desire to be popular. Why did I even care about all that? Honestly. I'll admit that I did enjoy the attention from my friends, from girls, especially Cho, from the entire student body. But the one person who stopped giving me attention was Anna; she was the one person whose opinion mattered to me. She was my best friend. I have myself to blame for having to use the word "was".

Adrianna Summers was the best thing that ever happened to me, though I would never, EVER admit that in front of my friends, mostly Cho. She was the only person who understood me, who never judged me, who never put any pressure on me. She was a _real_ person. I guess you could say it started after first year when we were both chosen as Seekers, her for Ravenclaw and I for Hufflepuff. Quidditch definitely ignited the flame of our friendship, so to speak. After that, we spent all our time together—did homework together, studied together, ate breakfast together, and even went to Hogsmeade when we didn't have much work to do. All in all, it was a beautiful friendship, and Anna was, and still is, a beautiful person.

I always admired her personality. She was intelligent, witty, kind, and always so selfless. She _always_ put others before herself. Like this one time, she had a Potions paper and a Charms paper due the next day, but instead of working on it, she helped me with my Transfiguration homework because she knows it's my weak subject. Who else would do something like that? Only Anna. I don't even think Cho would do something like that for me…Anyway, Anna is a good, genuine person, and that's something rare. _That's_ why I'm so fond of her. Besides her amazing personality, she's also very pretty, might I even say beautiful. Though she never really had any serious relationships, boys still found her attractive, no matter how many times she criticized her looks. Let's just say I was proud to call her my best friend.

What happened between Anna and I was, well, devastating. I truly don't know how better to put it. I do know one thing though: it was entirely my fault. As I said before, it's _my_ fault I was in love with the thought of being popular, it's _my_ fault Anna stayed away from me, it's _my_ fault my friends made fun of her and called her names. I was an idiot. I did absolutely nothing to stop any of it. I just let it happen. I let our friendship slip through my fingers. And now, the chance of getting the kind of friendship we had back is slim to none. I remember exactly what happened on April 10th of 2000. It was the day I officially became the biggest jerk and coward ever to attend Hogwarts, but most importantly, it was the day Anna ended the friendship I thought would last forever.

_My friends and I just finished dinner at the Great Hall. I needed to borrow some books for a Potions essay that was due at the end of the week. I entered the library, but stopped when I saw Anna getting her stuff together, ready to leave. I hit behind a tapestry just outside of the library doors, and watched her pass right by, not even noticing me. Why was I hiding? It was like I was afraid of her. Anyway, I went about my business and began looking for some books. I took some books and sat down at one of the tables. Before opening one of the books, I spotted a particular one that I didn't remember taking from the shelves. "All Your Favourite Poems" it was titled. I began to flip through the pages. It was then that it hit me: this is Anna's book. I would know because she used to read them to me all the time. After signing out the books with Madam Pince, I slipped them into my bag, along with Anna's poetry book. I intended to talk with her and return her book. I _would_ talk to her after five months of complete silence. _

_The real trouble of returning the book was actually finding Anna. She was nowhere to be seen! I had absolutely no classes with her, I never saw her at meals, and I never saw her anywhere else. I told myself I would always keep it with me in my bag just in case I saw her at an unexpected time. At least I'd be prepared. It just so happened that one day during Potions class, I asked Derrick (who was my partner for the day) to reach for my textbook that was in my bag. I was busy stirring a potion. He accidently pulled out Anna's poetry book. "Hey Ced, what's this here? 'Property of Adrianna Summers'. Isn't that the loser with the pretty face in Ravenclaw? Why do you have it?"_

_I was slightly offended by his choice of words, but I pretended not to be. "Yes, that's her. Put that back in the bag, Derrick. I intend on returning it to her as soon as possible."_

_"Why return it when we can have some fun?" Uh oh, the words "fun" and "Derrick" automatically mean trouble. _

_"Look, I don't think it's a good idea. Let's just save the fun for another time. I know I'd be pissed if someone didn't give me back something important."_

_"Something important? It's a fucking book filled with pointless words! I know I don't give a damn about this shit!" he laughed. _

_"Well, it's something that's important to her." I was surprised to find myself defending someone who I hadn't spoken to in such a long time. _

_"Ced, stop being a git. I promise we won't do anything bad. She'll get it back eventually. Come on, please?" _

_I contemplated this for a few moments, but after seeing Derrick's pleading face, I caved in. _

_"Oh alright, but as long as you promise to return it to her right after."_

_"Promise."_

_It had been a couple days since I agreed to let Derrick have his "fun". I feared what it was he was planning, but how bad could it have been? That day, my friends and I decided to hang around the courtyard before our first class. When we got there, Derrick threw me Anna's poetry book. Although surprised by the throw, I caught it. "What do you want me to do?" _

_"I dare you to rip a page out." The rest of the guys laughed. _

_Rip a page out? I could never do that. These guys may be my friends, but I couldn't do that to Anna. "Look lads, no matter how tempting that sounds, I don't think it's such a good idea." Perhaps giving a thumbs-up to all of this was a horrible decision._

_"Come on Ced!" They all tried to persuade me. "She's not gonna care! You honestly think she'll notice that one page is missing?"_

_"I know she will. It's Anna Summers. Of course she'll notice." They laughed at what I said. I laughed along, too. But I felt a pang of guilt at the fact that I just made fun of my best friend. _

_"Cedric! Cedric! Cedric!" They cheered my name over and over again as if trying to get me to give in. _

_That's when I saw her. I saw Anna enter the courtyard looking more pale and stunned than I've ever seen her. The worst part was that she was looking directly at me. Correction, she was looking directly at me _holding_ her poetry book. Shit. _

_"Well, well, well, if it isn't the loser herself. Anna, how nice of you to join us." I wanted to say something, to defend her. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it, let alone look her in the eye after what she just caught me doing. _

_"Cedric, please give me my book back. Please, you don't understand how much that book means to me…it's…it's…" Her voice sounded so desperate, so pitiful. I tried my hardest not to look into those green orbs of hers, which were now full of tears _

_"Oh Cedric, please, please!" Derrick began mocking her tone. The others started to laugh. The worst part was that I joined in. When I began laughing, Anna looked like she just got punched in the stomach. Her lip was quivering uncontrollably, her face was so wet with fallen tears, and her eyes were stationary on me. I don't even know why I laughed in the first place._

_"Anna, it's just a book. Plus, we ALL know about your little crush on Ceddy here. Don't worry, though, only the ENTIRE school knows. Cedric told us all about the way you look at him with those green eyes of yours, the way you laugh at all his jokes, the way you try to hold his hand during those study sessions…"No Derrick, why the hell would you say that?! That did it. I stopped laughing and looked directly at Anna. _That_ wasn't funny. He just crossed a very strict line. Anna didn't look sad anymore, she now looked angry. It wasn't long before she walked right up to Derrick and slapped him, hard, across the face. His right side was bright red._

_"Cedric! What the hell, do something!"_

_"What the hell am I supposed to do, Derrick?" And what was I supposed to do? I actually found it funny, but managed to hold back my laughter._

_"Tell her off! People like her don't deserve to treat people like us like she just did." He honestly wanted me to stand up for him. I think he fully deserved what he got. What really caught my attention, though, was when he said "people like us". What was that about? What made us superior over Anna? Over anybody for that matter._

_I didn't say anything. I was far too scared to. That was when Anna walks up to me, angry, determined to get her point across. I remember that face when we wrote frustrating Potions papers together. _

_"I don't know who the hell you or your friends think you are," she jabbed him hard in the chest with my finger. I was forced back by the contact."But I think it's time YOU realize that the world doesn't revolve around Cedric fucking Diggory!" My jaw dropped. Anna never swore in front of me before. Mixing in my name, I knew she was dead serious. "Learn that now before your head swells up ten times bigger than it already has! You may not care that you lost your best friend, considering everyone else around you is dying to become your new one, but I never thought I'd see the day when you, Cedric, would do something like this. I admired you because of your selflessness, your humility. I see that it was all just one big joke!" She snatched the book out of my hand. "Have a nice life. I know _I_ will because you're no longer going to be a part of it." That last part hit home. In fact, all of it did. Her words stung. I felt like crying, but I couldn't break down in front of my friends or Anna. I knew it then: I had just lost my best friend. _

* * *

That was the last thing she said to me. After that, I never saw her again. No matter how much I longed to see her face again, to talk to her, to study and do homework with her, to have her read poetry to me, it never happened. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. I built up the courage to tell Cho how I felt, and to my surprise, she told me she felt the same way. So, that's how our relationship started. With regards to my friends, things stayed the same. They helped me bring back the old Cedric when I fell into a slump after Anna's leave. I became, well, depressed. I took frequent rain checks on my time with Derrick and the other guys, even on dates with Cho at Hogsmeade. Sometimes, I wouldn't even touch my homework or study for tests. My grades didn't suffer too much thanks to my superb record before. The point is that fourth year wasn't a life changer for Anna. It was a big one for me, too. And now, there was nothing I could do about it.

* * *

I took a shower and got dressed quickly. I made my way to the Great Hall, practically running. I was famished! I didn't bother to wake up Derrick who was still fast asleep, but he won't get mad. He'd probably be grateful that I let him sleep in. It is a weekend after all!

Before I entered the Great Hall, I noticed everyone staring, staring at…Anna. I was confused to see that most were boys. I even caught sight of Marcus Flint and Draco Malfoy check her out. The weird part, though, was that she looked like she enjoyed it. By "it", I mean the attention. She giggled and blushed at Flint and Malfoy's observant eyes. She even had the nerve to wink at Bryan Chase, a seventh year Gryffindor, who everyone knew went through girls like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't believe that this was the same person. What happened to timid, shy, sweet Anna? Cho was right, she has changed.

I watched her throughout breakfast, no matter how creepy that may sound. I watched her wolf down her meal, every last bit of it. I smiled as I remember how she was never one to care what other people thought of her insane eating habits. Anna didn't care if people saw her use her fingers to eat a chicken wing or a huge rib, if people saw her lick the side of her face because of a tomato sauce stain, or if people saw her take a gigantic bite that managed to cause her cheeks to grow ten times larger. She ate so much, but managed to stay so skinny. It still leaves me in awe today. _You miss your best friend, Cedric. Face it._

Yes, in truth, I do miss Anna as my best friend. I screwed up big time. I didn't know how I was going to make it up to her, IF she would let me make it up to her. She would look up occasionally to find me looking at her. I think it freaked her out after a while, I could tell by the way she fiddled with her fork. It was an old habit of hers whenever she was nervous, anxious, or uncomfortable. After a few looks, she finally smirked at me. I felt like the happiest person alive. A smirk. It may not have been a full-out smile, but at least it wasn't those daggers she gave me the night of the welcoming feast. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. _I'm going to sort this all out, Anna_, I told myself. _No matter how long it takes, I'm going to make it up to you. _And that was a promise.

* * *

Potions class the following week was interesting. Hufflepuffs had double-potions with the Ravenclaws. Quite a coincidence, if you ask me. Professor Snape didn't like either house, most likely because they weren't Slytherins. As for his opinion of me, I don't think he hated me, but I don't think he particularly loved me, like he did Draco Malfoy.

Snape told us last time that we'd be working with partners to brew today's potion, Amortentia, a.k.a. a Love Potion. _Interesting, _I thought. I looked at Cho instantly at where she was standing across the room. She blushed, meaning that she agreed to be my partner. Next to her was Anna, who briefly caught my eye before refocusing her attention on Snape.

"Would anyone care to tell me what potion this is? Ah, Miss Summers."

"Well Professor, it's Amortentia, a love potion. Whoever smells it instantly smells the things they're most attracted to. For example, I smell…vanilla…cinnamon…and…" she paused and looked up at me for a split second before saying the last thing, "…watermelon." Everyone was surprised at the things she listed as her favourite scents, especially the last one. I was the only one who understood the reason she held a special place in her heart for watermelons.

"Ten points to Ravenclaw for an answer well-given, Miss Summers." Anna nodded her head in response to Snape's praise.

"And now, time to partner up for today's brewing of Amortentia. Remember, it's a very powerful potion, but considering that you are all seventh year students in two intelligent houses, I presume there will be no trouble. I will read off the list for the partners." Wait a second…_he_ was picking the partners?! I could see Cho's disappointed face. Nevertheless, she covered up her sadness with a small smile. _That's the Cho I know._

"Smith and Cartwright, LaDrue and Roberts, Chang and Aidan, Summers and Diggory…" the list went on, but as soon as I heard who my partner was, I suddenly forgot how to move.

Apparently, it wasn't the same for Anna, who already began making her way towards me.

"Hey," she sounded so serious, so…mature. It was a tone I wasn't used to from her.

"Hi. Here, sit down," I pulled out the empty stool next to me for her to seat herself.

"Thanks." She sat down and began looking through the procedure and materials. "So we'll need some Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns..."

"Wait, no 'How's it going?' or anything like that?"

"Do I really need to explain myself? The only reason I'm talking to you right now is because I just want my O and be done with it. Potions isn't my best class, Cedric."

I chuckled at her retort. "I know, Anna. I remember."

She didn't seem too happy about what I said, but she still gave me a smirk. "Yes, well, I suggest we start brewing this potion."

"Right." I smiled at her. She stared at my smile for a long time, as if thinking about something important. She quickly shook her head out of her momentary trance, and started getting materials from the supply closet, whispering things to herself all the while. I just watched her, remembering my promise to try to make it up to her. If only she would let me in…

The rest of the class was mostly me trying to get more words to come out of Anna's mouth. Her responses were mostly two words, if not one. It was clear she didn't want to talk to me, let alone be partners with me for an assignment. The atmosphere grew awkward really fast.

"So, you're getting used to things again here?"

"Yes."

"You enjoying your classes?"

"Yup."

"Trying out for Quidditch?"

"Plan to."

"Anna, stop. Stop!" I took her hand that she was using to crush the rose thorns. She seemed startled at the sudden contact but looked me in the eye. "Come on, can we not act civil for one class?"

"I am being civil. I don't know what you're talking about. You're asking questions and I'm responding. Isn't that how it goes?" She flashed me a quick smile, but I could tell she was just being sarcastic.

"_Technically, _you're being civil. But you're not being the Anna I know."

She slammed down the knife she was using hard on the table. Luckily, nobody else noticed. She harshly whispered to me, as if afraid of other people hearing. "Stop playing games, Cedric. Did you even bother to get to know the _real_ me? No, you were too busy worrying about everybody else, but me. I meant everything I said to you that day. I tried to be your best friend. But you obviously didn't think I was good enough. _You_ pushed _me_ away. Remember?"

"Anna, if you would just let me in!"

"It's Adrianna, and you give me no reason to. Now can we please finish this potion so I can get my O and be done with it!"

"Fine." I couldn't argue back. I took a handful of the rose thorns and threw them in the potion.

"Cedric, no!" Before I knew it, the potion was no longer boiling in the cauldron, but it was no all over our workspace, but more importantly, it was all over me and Anna. Correction, a very angry-looking Anna. The cauldron was completely shattered. It caused quite the explosion, an explosion nobody in the room could've missed.

"Mr. Diggory, Miss Summers! You will stay after class to clean this mess up! Both of you, detention in my office tonight at 6 o'clock." His nasal voice drawled out the last part.

"But professor, I have assignment to complete, essays to write, I don't have time for detention!" Anna pleaded and I instantly felt more sorry about the whole situation.

"I simply do not care, Miss Summers. Clearly, you and your partner," he eyed me a moment, "need some extra help in my class. I'm afraid I will not take excuses." At that, he turned around to help another set of partners.

First mistake I made: I started laughing. Honestly, I felt bad about causing it, but I couldn't help it. It was funny! How else do I explain it? Anna sent those green daggers my way, but I still kept laughing. The old Anna, the one that didn't hate me, would've laughed, too. We used to laugh for what seemed like hours when we were younger. This, however, wasn't the same Anna. Thankfully, she didn't say anything. She turned her back on me and started cleaning up the potion off the counter. I knew she was pissed beyond belief, and she should be, I'll give her that. But the thing that put a smile on my face, even though her back was turned to me, I could see her body shaking: Anna was laughing, too.

* * *

**Chapter Four is up! I know my first chapters were quite short, but I'm working to make them longer. This one, so far, is the longest. Please read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Forgiving and Forgetting

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter series. I only own my OC's and the plot of this fanfic.

**Anna P.O.V.**

_Stupid, stupid Anna!_ _Why would you smirk at him?_ I kept scolding myself for smirking at Cedric that one morning at breakfast. He obviously thought we were on good terms now. Well, maybe not "good terms", but still. I remember feeling his eyes boring into me. He was staring at me the whole time I was eating. Creepy? I think so. But really, why should I care? Tons of people saw me eating, what makes Cedric different? Well, he _is_ the only one who knows the pig I can be when it comes to food. I giggled at how disgusting I probably looked.

* * *

_After leaving the Great Hall that morning, I heard someone call my name. _

_"Anna! Anna, hey wait up!" I turned around to see the seventh year Gryffindor I winked at earlier. It was Bryan Chase. _

_"Hey," I greeted him when he caught up to me. Just looking at him took my breath away. His golden, perfectly tousled hair, his piercing blue eyes that resembled the ocean, his muscular build, and best of all, his dazzling smile. I didn't think teeth could be that white!_

_"Hey! Welcome back! I never got the chance to formally say it."_

_"Yeah, don't worry though. You're one of many."_

_He laughed a glorious laugh. "They'd be crazy not to notice you." _

_I blushed. No matter how cheezy that line was, it sounded great leaving his mouth. "Thanks…so, you had a good summer?"_

_"Yeah, it was…interesting. My girlfriend broke up with me though."_

_"Well, if I may say so, she's the crazy one. I have no clue why anyone would want to break up with you." Oh Merlin! Did I really just blurt that out? The old me would've never said that. But hey, I can't take it back now. _

_He laughed again. I must be pretty funny. "You're cute, you know that Anna? Look, I have to go to class, but I'll catch up with you later, yeah?"_

_I blushed again. I probably looked like a tomato. "Yeah, for sure! See you later Bryan." He strode off to class, leaving me giggling like a little school girl. I'd have to tell Cho everything._

* * *

The next day, I went to the library to study for an upcoming Charms test. I don't even know why I was studying in the first place. Charms was one of my best classes. Studying was the last thing I needed to do. But I wasn't doing anything else, so I might as well guarantee that I got a perfect mark on the test.

"Anna, is…is that you?" I looked up from my book to see Bryan Chase's gorgeous face looking down at me.

"Oh hi, I didn't even see you. Please, sit!"

"Thanks," he pulled out an empty chair at the table I was sitting at. "What are you reading there?"

"Oh well, this is my poetry book. I finished studying for my Charms test on Tuesday, so I decided to read in the meantime."

He smiled that beautiful smile of his. "You just reminded me that I have a Transfiguration test that same day. Thank you." It was a genuine smile. "And poetry, huh? I was never really into that kind of stuff, but I'm open to anything. Read me one."

I chuckled. "You really want me to read you a poem? I don't think you'll enjoy it. You'll probably find it boring."

"Try me." He challenged me. My face sunk suddenly and I could tell he noticed it. I wasn't sad or anything, but I remembered how Cedric used to ask me to read him poems. I remembered the first time I read him a poem. He challenged me the same way Bryan was challenging me.

* * *

_"Come on, Anna, just one! Please!"_

_"You're gonna laugh. I know you are. You'll think I'm boring."_

_"It's like you don't even know me. Of course I'm not going to laugh! I respect you, and anything you like. Please." He pouted his lower lip, something he knew I couldn't say no to. _

_"Fine. But you better keep your promise there, Diggory. Which one do you want?"_

_"I will. You can count on that. And hmm…read me your favourite one." He smiled the famous Cedric smile that could make anyone feel better._

_I flipped through a few pages to find the one poem that meant so much to me. I smiled when I saw the familiar words. "It's called 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost. He's a famous Muggle poet."_

_Cedric looked at me with kind eyes, and I knew he was ready to listen. _

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;_

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference. 

_"That was absolutely beautiful, Anna. I don't know why you were so ashamed of it."_

_"Not ashamed, just…embarrassed. I thought you'd hate it."_

_"How could I? The only thing I hate is having to write this stupid Potions paper for Professor Snape."_

_I laughed. Cedric always knew how to lighten the mood._

* * *

"Uh, Anna?" I completely forgot that Bryan was looking at me all the while when I was having a momentary flash from the past. _Great, he probably thinks I'm some sort of psychopathic freak._

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just…remembered something. You were saying?"

He chuckled lightly. "I was wondering if you could read a poem to me out of that book of yours." He flashed me a winning smile.

"Yes, of course I will. But before I do, promise me one thing."

He leaned a little closer and my heart starting beating uncontrollably. "Anything."

"Don't laugh or make fun. I just have a great love of poetry."

"Anna, I would never laugh. How could I laugh at someone like you?"

"Okay, I'll read you my favourite one."

I flipped through the pages and found THE poem. The one that I could never get tired of.

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;_

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference. 

He remained quiet for a while, as if thinking about something. I got a little nervous.

"Well, what did you think?"

"It was…interesting. I've never heard that one before."

"It's by a famous Muggle poet. But did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was very… poetic?" He laughed, and I did, too, but in truth, I didn't find what he said at all funny.

"Yes, well, it is a poem." I was afraid my tone was a bit too sarcastic or harsh for his liking.

"Indeed. Look, Anna, I was wondering if you wanted to… maybe… go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend. I've really wanted to ask you that ever since you came back, but you've always been so busy. What do you say?" He beamed at me. How could I refuse such a beautiful face?

"It sounds lovely, Bryan. Of course I'll go with you." I returned his smile.

"Great, this Saturday, yeah? I'll pick you up at the Ravenclaw tower." He sat up from the table and left. I couldn't help but sigh at what just happened. I just got asked out by Bryan Chase! He was perfect—good-looking, seventh year, Gryffindor, and a noble guy. I guess I don't know him _that_ well, but that was sure to change, especially after our little date this coming Saturday. I couldn't wait!

* * *

That week's Potions class was…interesting. Ravenclaws shared Double Potions with Hufflepuffs. What a coincidence, right? Professor Snape informed us the previous class that we'd be brewing Amortentia, a love potion, and a powerful one at that. He also told us that we'd be working with partners. I don't have anything against Professor Snape, despite the fact that I think he isn't too fond of me, but I honestly hated how we always had to work in partners. Why? Did he not believe we were independent enough?

Snape asked for a volunteer to explain what the potion was. My hand immediately shot straight up in the air. I could care less if other people were annoyed with my "Ravenclaw-ness". I was proud of it.

""Well Professor, it's Amortentia, a love potion. Whoever smells it instantly smells the things they're most attracted to. For example, I smell…vanilla…cinnamon…and…" I was surprised by the last thing I smelled, for it reminded me of the past. I stole a quick glance at Cedric because I knew he would understand. "…and watermelon." I could tell without even looking at everyone in the room that nobody understood why I was attracted to that scent. Even Cho gave me a look that seemed to say, _Honestly? Watermelon? _I didn't dare look at Cedric again. I couldn't let myself become weak by thinking of the past.

Snape then awarded Ravenclaw ten points for my great answer. I didn't really have any doubts, though. I still nodded my head JUST to be respectful.

"And now, time to partner up for today's brewing of Amortentia. Remember, it's a very powerful potion, but considering that you are all seventh year students in two intelligent houses, I presume there will be no trouble. I will read off the list for the partners." Hold that a moment, _he_ was picking the partners?! I didn't have a partner, and by the looks of it, Cedric and Cho were planning on being partners (of course, it was a love potion for Merlin's sake!), but you could tell everyone was disappointed. Snape seemed to enjoy seeing everyone's misery.

"Smith and Cartwright, LaDrue and Roberts, Chang and Aidan, Summers and Diggory…" _Shit._ Did Snape really just put us together to do this assignment? I saw Cedric's face, and by the look of it, he wasn't thrilled. _You need a good mark in Potions, Anna. It's just an assignment, you can handle it. _I was right, it was just an assignment. I could do it. I'd promise to try to act nice not for Cedric, but for myself. After all, I truly did need to bring up my grade in Potions.

It looked as though Cedric wasn't going to move, so I took the initiative and made my way towards him. "Hey," I tried to sound as emotionless as possible. I wasn't use to talking like this. By the look on Cedric's face, I could tell he wasn't used to me talking like this either.

"Hi. Here, sit down," Typical, polite Cedric. I wanted to smile, but didn't. It wouldn't feel right. He moved out the empty seat next to him and motioned for me to sit down. I accepted the kind gesture.

"Thanks." I immediately started flipping through the textbook to see what ingredients we needed. "So we'll need some Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns..."

I didn't get to finish because Cedric cut me off. "Wait, no 'How's it going?' or anything like that?" Did he really think this was the time to socialize?

"Do I really need to explain myself? The only reason I'm talking to you right now is because I just want my O and be done with it. Potions isn't my best class, Cedric." I was being dead serious. I enjoyed Potions, but it didn't like me, never did. We couldn't waste any time in brewing the potion.

Surprisingly, he laughed at what I said. Seriously, was I _that_ funny? "I know, Anna. I remember."

This shocked me. I couldn't believe he would remember something so meaningless like that. To my surprise, I smirked. "Yes, well, I suggest we start brewing this potion."

"Right." He smiled at me. I don't know why, but I found myself staring at his smile. It wasn't perfect like Bryan's, but it held truth. I remembered all the times that smile made me feel like I was the most important person in the world—the times I felt stressed because of school, the times I got into fights with Cho, the times I had a frustrating Quidditch practice. That smile gave me reason to smile. The corners of my mouth were about to lift, when a voice inside my head pulled me out of my trance. _Anna, what the hell are you doing? Snap out of it and start brewing the potion already!_

Right, right. I shook my head and headed to the supply closet to start getting the ingredients we needed. I whispered to myself all the while. That was another old habit of mine. I could feel Cedric's eyes on my back. I pretended not to notice and kept concentrated on what I was doing.

The whole time we were brewing the potion, Cedric kept trying to make conversation with me. I knew what he was doing. It was more than obvious. But I didn't give him the satisfaction. Instead, I gave him the shortest, bluntest, most unexpressive responses I could conjure. After a while, I started to feel bad for him. Even though I hated him now, he _was_ my best friend. Ironic how we used to be inseparable, but now we can't even have a normal conversation.

"So, you're getting used to things again here?"

"Yes."

"You enjoying your classes?"

"Yup."

"Trying out for Quidditch?"

"Plan to."

"Anna, stop. Stop!" He raised his voice slightly, and grabbed the hand that I was using to crush the rose thorns. I shivered a little at the sudden contact. Nevertheless, I looked him straight in the eye. I promised myself I would act polite for this class. "Come on, can we not act civil for one class?" Was he actually accusing me of not acting civil? You know how hard it is to be civil towards the person that made your past hell?

"I am being civil. I don't know what you're talking about. You're asking questions and I'm responding. Isn't that how it goes?" I was being honest. I was actually trying my best to be nice to him. If it was going to get me my O, I would do anything.

"_Technically, _you're being civil. But you're not being the Anna I know." That, _that_ was what pissed me off. The Anna I know? You DON'T know me! I've changed because of YOU!

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I slammed down the knife I was holding hard on the table. Thank Merlin nobody else noticed. That would've just made the situation ten times worse. I made sure to speak quietly so others wouldn't hear. "Stop playing games, Cedric. Did you even bother to get to know the _real_ me? No, you were too busy worrying about everybody else, but me. I meant everything I said to you that day. I tried to be your best friend. But you obviously didn't think I was good enough. _You_ pushed _me_ away. Remember?" I didn't regret anything I said, especially after seeing that guilt was clear on his face. He needed to hear he truth.

"Anna, if you would just let me in!" No, he wasn't getting another chance. No way was I going to take that risk.

"It's Adrianna, and you give me no reason to. Now can we please finish this potion so I can get my O and be done with it!" I wouldn't let him call me by my nickname. He didn't deserve that.

"Fine." Finally, you agree with me. He was always so stubborn. I went on to work on the Ashwinder eggs, but I caught sight of Cedric throwing a handful of rose thorns into the potion. Oh no. That wasn't a good thing.

"Cedric, no!" That was the only thing I could say before the thing exploded. Suddenly, I smelt the distinct smell of burning and I felt the potion splatter all over me. I was livid! Everyone was looking, I was covered in this pink shit, and we would probably get some sort of punishment! It wasn't even my fault! Now you see why I hate working with partners.

"Mr. Diggory, Miss Summers! You will stay after class to clean this mess up! Both of you, detention in my office tonight at 6 o'clock." Detention? You've got to be kidding me Snape!

"But professor, I have assignment to complete, essays to write, I don't have time for detention!" It was true. I actually did have tons of homework and tests to study for. Thanks Cedric fucking Diggory.

"I simply do not care, Miss Summers. Clearly, you and your partner need some extra help in my class. I'm afraid I will not take excuses." Snape then turned around to help someone else. I glared at Cedric who started laughing. He thought it was funny. Actually, I thought it was pretty funny, too. The explosion, the gunk that was now covering Cedric and I, the look on Snape's face. I could feel myself giving in to the desire of wanting to die of laughter. I regained my composure, I was in front of Cedric after all. I decided to turn around and start cleaning the mess. I wasn't sure how long I could keep a straight face without looking at Cedric's, which still held the trace of laughter. I began wiping the counter, but found myself chuckling while I was. I was positive Cedric could see me. I could just picture him smiling. The rest of the class consisted of the two of us working separately to clean the mess while secretly laughing to ourselves.

At the end of class, we were done cleaning the mess. Thank Merlin Snape agreed to give us another chance to brew the potion. He told us we'd be able to brew it again next week. Cho came up to me before leaving the classroom.

"Anna, are you okay? I got scared when I saw you and Ced covered in pink goo."

I laughed. "I'm fine Cho. No harm, no foul. I just need a good shower."

"Yes, yes you do." We laughed together. That ended quickly when she saw Cedric who just finished putting his books bag in his bag.

"I'll see you at dinner Anna." With a sweet smile, she went to go greet her boyfriend. Now, it's definitely time to leave. I made for a quick exit out of the room. I could feel Cedric's eyes on me as I walked out. We exchanged glances before I left.

_Maybe it's time to forgive him._ Was I going crazy? I could never forgive him after the torture he caused me! I can't believe that I'm actually considering mending our broken friendship. Just because we managed to survive Potions class together doesn't mean we're suddenly best friends again. Having a friendship like we did takes time to build, especially after all that happened.

* * *

That night at dinner, I told Cho all about how Bryan Chase asked me out to Hogsmeade the coming Saturday. She was just as giddy as I was.

"Really?! Anna, that's great!"

"I know, I'm so excited!"

"Did you tell Cedric yet?" I stopped giggling then. Why did she think I would tell Cedric? She knows that we're not close anymore.

"No, of course not."

"I've been thinking. I think you guys should just get over it whatever happened in fourth year. I mean, you're both more mature now. I was able to get over whatever went on, and now look at us! We're best friends again! I feel like you and him should do the same."

I took my fork and stabbed my steak forcefully. How dare she think that it was that easy! She didn't even know what happened! I stood up instantly, pushing my plate away, not caring if I spilled someone's pumpkin juice. "I can't believe you're defending him! You don't even know what happened between us. How could you possibly have an opinion about it? Honestly! I have detention to attend to because of _your_ "perfect boyfriend". Night Cho." I stormed off, out of the Great Hall, still fuming inside.

When I reached the Potions classroom, Cedric was already there sweeping the floor. I didn't see Snape, though.

"Where's Snape?" I asked him. He was startled by my sudden presence. He obviously didn't hear me come in.

"He said he had to attend an important meeting with Dumbledore. We're supposed to clean the classroom. That's all he said."

"Alright."

"If you want, you can get to work washing the blackboard. I'm almost done sweeping the floor, but I'll help you when I'm finished."

"Okay." It was best that we worked in separate areas of the room. Silence was most appreciated, too.

To my great surprise, he didn't try to make conversation with me. He didn't say one thing the whole time. It started to make me feel bad. Did my outburst earlier in Potions scare him? I know I shouldn't care, but I couldn't help but feel guilty.

"So what, did someone cast a silence charm on you or something? Earlier you wouldn't shut up and now you refuse to talk?"

"It's not that, Anna. It's just that I feel bad that you have to be here right now. It was my entire fault and I'm sorry."

"You're right. It was your fault."

He chuckled and I couldn't help but laugh myself. I felt like I was under some sort of spell. Why was I not being hostile towards him?

"Still same funny Anna."

"Never considered myself funny."

"I always did."

"I guess, you were always laughing at me when I would get frustrated over Potions."

"It was funny. I couldn't help myself."

The rest of the two-hour detention was full of laughter and reminiscing old times. It was like it was Cedric and Anna, the dynamic duo, from third year. We finished cleaning the classroom early and decided to spend the rest of the time just talking.

"Does your dad still hate me?"

"He hates all boys I talk to." We both laughed at this.

"How's your mum doing? She still owns that bake shop?"

"Yup, always baking cakes and cookies. It's because of her that I have to watch what I eat."

He laughed at my joke. "Oh please, you never watched what you ate! You eat like a pig!"

"Shut up, Diggory! You're not exactly a role model of proper etiquette." I crossed my arms and stuck my nose high in the air. He died of laughter at that point. We both knew he was always the more behaved one.

After a while of trying to catch our breaths from our hysterical laughter, he asked me another question. "How's your brother? Garrett, right?"

I instantly stopped laughing. My eyes landed on the floor and stayed there for a while. _He didn't know._ Well of course he wouldn't, he was the one who pushed me away! Then, I had an epiphany: _What the hell was I doing? I was enjoying my time with Cedric, the person that betrayed our friendship, ditched me for popularity, made me vow to change myself! _I stood up, and made my way towards the door, but Cedric caught on and stood in front of the door. Oh no, I wasn't about to let him get in my way anymore.

"Move Cedric," I spat at him.

"What's wrong Anna? We were just having fun. What happened?"

"I said move!" I tried to push him out of the way, he was way too strong and stood still.

"Tell me, Anna! I'm tired of you avoiding the real matter. Let's just say it: I screwed up! I was the one who left you! You don't need to remind me anymore of it. I know that's the reason why you left in fourth year! I don't need you making me feel worse about it!" he was now yelling at me. I shuddered at his raised voice. Cedric and I never had full-fledged fights like this before.

"That's not the reason why I left! And for your information, yes, you did screw up! You screwed up big time! I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm trying to get you to see what an arse you were!" I engaged in the shouting, too.

"I know I was an arse, I don't need reminding, Anna. I'm not an idiot!"

"You sure acted like one! You acted like…like…a coward. You acted like a jerk, a big one!"

"Continue to go on? Because you're sure on a roll!" he narrowed his eyes at me.

I wasn't about to let him take the victory. "You're Cedric Diggory, Golden Boy, but you acted like anything but golden to me in fourth year. You made me feel like a loser, so that's what I became. You were a selfish, arrogant, cocky git that didn't give two shits about our friendship! It meant nothing to you!"

"You're right, I didn't make an effort to talk to you, I'll admit that. But it's not like you made any effort either! No, you hid behind that stupid poetry book instead! And don't you dare call me those things. You don't even know how hard it is have a large amount of pressure on you. I told you how I felt about it! I thought that you, being my best friend, would understand! I was clearly wrong!" I flinched at his raising voice. Seeing Cedric shouting, yelling, angry like this was a first-time sight for me.

I didn't know what to say after that. I know he insulted me, I know he called my precious book stupid. But what got me was when he said that he actually cared about our friendship. He actually cared about me. He still thought I was his best friend. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I wasn't going to let any fall.

We both stayed quiet for a long time. Cedric was still breathing heavily from his outburst, cheeks still flaming red, eyebrows still furrowed, and eyes still focussed on me. My confidence came back, and I finally built up the courage to say something.

"You wanna know why I left in fourth year?" I could feel my voice getting shaky.

"What the hell, Anna? Did you not understand me before? I don't want to revisit the row we had!"

"I'm not talking about the fucking fight, Cedric!" When I saw some fear in his eyes when I swore and yelled, I knew I had him. I knew this was the moment when I would tell him the truth.

"I didn't leave because of what happened between us…I left because Garrett died." Cedric was about to open his mouth, but I held up my hand. "I'm not done, let me finish." At that, he closed his mouth and nodded his head. I continued. "At the beginning of fourth year, my parents sent me a letter as per usual, except this letter was different. In that letter, my parents explained to me that Garrett was sick with a disease…a terminal disease. You know how close we were, that was clear. After receiving that letter, I realized that he wouldn't live forever, that his days were numbered. I didn't know what else to do. So I blocked myself off from the world." I tried hard not to break down. It got to the point where I didn't even care if the tears were already falling freely down my face. I couldn't tell what Cedric was thinking. His eyes were still glued on me, never shifting from their hard gaze.

"I decided that the world was a bad place, that it hated me. That's why I stopped talking to you and Cho. That's why I stopped attending classes. That's why my grades suffered. And that's why I turned to poetry. I hid behind my poetry book because I thought it could shield me from the world of shit around me. Cho at least tried to ask what was wrong. But you…you didn't do anything. It's like you didn't even care. I could've died and you wouldn't have noticed. You were too busy dissecting every last bit of attention you could get. I wondered if our friendship ever even meant _anything_ to you." He kept quiet the whole time, I was glad he was letting me speak my mind. I could tell he was thinking, but other than that, nothing.

"That day you stole my book, I felt like such a loser. Not because I was being publicly humiliated in front of a group of boys, not because I was crying over something as little as a poetry book, but because you, Cedric Diggory, my best friend for four years decided to betray me. And for what? For popularity. That was like a slap in the face, you know that?" The tears were falling uncontrollably now. "To see your 'best friend' making fun of you, laughing at you, not standing up for you. And you wanna know the reason why that book meant so much to me? That book was a present from Garrett on my eleventh birthday. It was the last thing I had to remember him by. I kept it with me wherever I went because I felt like he was always with me, even though he wasn't." I sniffled and sobbed, but wiped my face with the sleeve of my sweater. "The day of Garrett's funeral, I made a promise. I vowed that I wouldn't let anybody take the upper hand on me. I vowed I wouldn't let the past ruin my future. I vowed that I would change anything and everything I could about me to make a person that wasn't weak. And that's why I came back; I came back to prove to _you_ that you couldn't do something like what you did in fourth year and just get away with it. I came back to start fresh, not be the 'loser girl' in Ravenclaw."

I said the last part with finality to let him know that I meant each and every word. He never took his eyes off me the whole time I spoke, but the look in his eyes, I couldn't identify it. I did, however, see those blue-grey orbs begin to turn slightly glassy. I didn't say anything, though. It wasn't the right time to be critiquing. I decided I had no more to say, and I didn't. I let it all out right there, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Cedric was still standing in front of the door, but when I tried to push past him, he stood aside and let me. I was just outside the classroom door when I turned around to face him again. His eyes were lowered, but he looked up again when he saw I turned around. "I forgive, but I don't forget Cedric. Remember that." And I walked towards the Ravenclaw tower as quickly and quietly as I could.

* * *

**There's Chapter 5! Hope you all liked it! Just to let you guys know, about the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament, that will come later on. I just feel that I need to build up my characters a bit more before throwing in something that huge. Please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: There's A First Time for Everything

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. I only own my OC's and the plot of this fanfic.

**Cedric P.O.V.**

It was probably one of the hardest things to do, containing my laughter as Anna and I cleaned up the mess we made in Potions. I could see Anna chuckling to herself the whole time, and it helped deplete the guilt I originally felt. It wasn't awkward anymore. It was like Anna was slowly starting to come around. _Don't get ahead of yourself, Cedric. Don't have such high expectations. _It's true. I was always one to expect so much, whether or not I was or wasn't let down in the end. But either way, I was happy that Anna wasn't being so hostile towards me, even if it was just for one class.

Thank Merlin Snape was giving us another chance to brew the potion! I'd feel even worse if Anna's grade had to suffer due to my total idiocy. We finished cleaning the mess by the end of class. I saw Cho talking to Anna before leaving the classroom. I got jealous for a second. Not of Anna, but of Cho. How Cho could actually talk to Anna, how Anna appreciated having Cho in her life, how Cho was now Anna's _best friend._ Those were things I took for granted, things I might never be able to get back. I groaned in frustration and began putting my books back in my bag. When I looked up, I saw Cho standing right in front of me.

"Are you okay? I heard the explosion, but didn't quite expect it to come from your corner of the classroom," she giggled, but tried to remain serious, as if afraid I'd be offended.

"I'm fine, Cho, really. I'm more concerned about Anna. She didn't seem too happy."

She chuckled. "I'd be pretty upset, even if you are my boyfriend. But I wouldn't worry too much about it. She'll shrug it off like she always does." She smiled her sweet smile.

I was about to say something when I saw Anna walking towards the door. She glanced at me for a moment, as if pondering something, but then shook her head and left. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, so many things I wanted to say to her, mostly apologies. But if talking to her proved to be such a challenge, good luck trying to get in any sort of closure.

"Uh, Cedric? Are you alright there?" I almost forgot about Cho who probably thought I was going insane.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine…Look about the other night, I feel bad about you feeling bad that we didn't get to spend any time together over the summer." She starting giggling, probably because of my confusing word choice, but I kept going. "I want to make it up to you. So I'm taking you out to a day at Hogsmeade this Saturday, no matter how many times you protest." I said that last part because I knew she would.

"Cedric, no, you do too much for me already! I don't need to go to" but I cut her off by placing my lips on hers. They tasted like strawberries. It was the lip gloss she used. When we broke apart, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me lovingly.

"Fine, I'll go with you. But only because I'd feel bad either way," she teased. Before leaving, she planted a small kiss on my cheek and said a quick 'I love you'.

I asked myself when I got so lucky. But the answer I came up with was not the one I expected it to be.

* * *

I was in the library that night finishing up a Transfiguration assignment. I still had about an hour or so left until the detention with Snape. I was writing the last sentence of the paper when I felt someone looking down at me at the table I was sitting at. "Mind if I sit here, Diggory?" I looked up to see Bryan Chase.

"Yeah sure mate. I'm just finishing a Transfiguration assignment."

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something, but if you're busy…"

"No Bryan, it's alright. I'm literally on the last sentence."

"Oh okay…but I wanted to ask you about Anna." I froze suddenly. But I tried to hide my surprise.

"Yeah, sure, what's up?"

"I know you're dating Cho, but do you and Anna have some history or something?"

"No, why would you ask such a thing?"

"Well, I overheard you and Derrick talking about her on the train here and wondered if something was up…but I guess it was a misunderstanding. That clears things up…"

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'that clears things up?" I started to get annoyed with this bloke, especially when the person we were talking about is my best friend.

"I just wanted to make sure she wasn't dating anybody, if I had the green light to go and make my move if you know what I mean." He smirked at me. I could care less if Anna hated me, I still cared about her deeply. I was trying my best not to lash out at the guy, not to beat him up right then and there. That was _Anna_ he was talking about!

"Look Bryan, you seem like a nice bloke. But don't try things like that. Everyone around here knows about your little 'To-Do List'. You've gone through more girls than Draco Malfoy has hair gel. Anna's a friend, and I don't want to see her get hurt because of something you did."

"Don't worry, I was just kidding!" he held up his hands in front of him, laughing. All I could do was raise an eyebrow at his immaturity. But there was something about this guy that made me doubt him…

"I trust you then. I have detention with Snape so I'll see you around, yeah?" I heard him mutter a quick 'Goodbye', and I bolted out of the library. I _needed _to get away from that guy! Not only did he creep me out, he made me worry for Anna. I didn't trust him around her. But hey, it's not like she would listen to me if I told her to watch her back.

* * *

I arrived at the Potions classroom early due to my… encounter with Bryan Chase in the library. Snape didn't look like he was expecting me to come early, but he told me what to do while he attended an important meeting with Dumbledore. Me and Anna alone for two hours…I just hope he knew what he was doing leaving us like that.

I picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor. I thought I heard footsteps but I ignored them. Snape probably just forgot to tell me something.

My heart jumped when I heard a familiar voice speak. "Where's Snape?" I didn't want to say anything, this clearly wasn't the time and place, but Anna looked angry. I could tell. Her lips were stuck out, her eyes were piercing, and her breathing was heavy. No matter how angry she was, she was still beautiful…don't get me wrong, Cho was beautiful in her own way, but Anna had something different. I always thought she was pretty when we were young. I was proud to call her my best friend. Then I remembered Bryan…gross, I could just imagine the "moves" he was planning to use on Anna. But there was no use in me trying to convince her he was a good person. She'd just ignore me.

"He said he had to attend an important meeting with Dumbledore. We're supposed to clean the classroom. That's all he said."

"Alright."

"If you want, you can get to work washing the blackboard. I'm almost done sweeping the floor, but I'll help you when I'm finished."

"Okay." She looked down, really down. I wanted to say something to her the whole time we cleaned, but I knew she would just try to ignore me. I decided to keep quiet instead. I was beginning to feel like accepting defeat on the promise I made to make it up to her.

"So what, did someone cast a silence charm on you or something? Earlier you wouldn't shut up and now you refuse to talk?" I was more than surprised when she was the one to start the conversation.

"It's not that, Anna. It's just that I feel bad that you have to be here right now. It was my entire fault and I'm sorry." And I did. I felt more than bad, actually. It was probably because of me that she was angry before coming in.

"You're right. It was your fault." She was trying to be serious, but it just came out as funny. She was sarcastic a lot of the time. I laughed in spite of the tense atmosphere.

"Still same funny Anna."

"Never considered myself funny."

"I always did."

"I guess, you were always laughing at me when I would get frustrated over Potions."

"It was funny. I couldn't help myself."

For a moment, it felt like she didn't hate me, like she was actually enjoying my company. The whole time we were cleaning, she was the old Anna—the one that didn't hate me. She acted like we were best friends again. I looked at detention a new way because of her…but that's just who Anna is. She makes you see things differently, with a new perspective.

We finished cleaning up the classroom early; the entire time was spent laughing and reliving the good old days. We chose to talk for the remainder of the two hours.

"Does your dad still hate me?" It was an honest question, though I knew Anna would take it in a humourous way.

"He hates all boys I talk to." We both laughed. It was true. Mr. Summers actually did hate every boy that associated with his daughter. But I guess if I had a daughter who attracted so many boys like Anna did, I'd have to develop some sort of hostility towards them.

"How's your mum doing? She still owns that bake shop?" Mrs. Summers was _the_ best baker ever to live. It was Anna and I that persuaded her to open up her own bakery after we tasted her raisin bread and peanut butter cookies in second year. They were amazing! She had a hidden talent, that's for sure.

"Yup, always baking her famous cakes and cookies. It's because of her that I have to watch what I eat."

I laughed at what she said. "Oh please, you never watched what you ate! You eat like a pig!" I was dead serious. She knew I was right. Anna never watched her weight; she never tried to starve herself to become skinny. Sure, she was skinny, but it wasn't because of a diet.

"Shut up, Diggory! You're not exactly a role model of proper etiquette." She crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. She always used to do that when we had debates about who the better Seeker was. Never did I give her the satisfaction of winning. I always put up a good fight. At that point, we started laughing. We both knew _I _was the more behaved one. Always have been, always will be.

It took us a while to catch our breaths. We hadn't laughed together like this since third year. After regaining my composure, I asked Anna another question. "How's your brother? Garrett, right?"

Something about this question set her off. She stopped laughing and then stared directly at the floor. Her eyes didn't move for some time. All of a sudden, she stood up and began walking towards the door. It's a good thing I saw or else she would've already been gone. I stood right in front of the door. I wasn't going to let her run away anymore.

"Move Cedric," she growled at me.

"What's wrong Anna? We were just having fun. What happened?"

"I said move!" She tried pushing me out of the way. _Good try, Anna. You're not that strong._

"Tell me, Anna! I'm tired of you avoiding the real matter. Let's just say it: I screwed up! I was the one who left you! You don't need to remind me anymore of it. I know that's the reason why you left in fourth year! I don't need you making me feel worse about it!" I yelled at her. We've never fought like this before.

"That's not the reason why I left! And for your information, yes, you did screw up! You screwed up big time! I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm trying to get you to see what an arse you were!" she shouted back as equally enraged.

"I know I was an arse, I don't need reminding, Anna. I'm not an idiot!" She needed to stop treating me like I was stupid. I know what I did! I've gotten over it, it's your turn.

"You sure acted like one! You acted like…like…a coward. You acted like a jerk, a big one!"

"Continue to go on? Because you're sure on a roll!" I narrowed my eyes at her. I felt a tad guilty about the venom in my words, but I couldn't take it back.

"You're Cedric Diggory, Golden Boy, but you acted like anything but golden to me in fourth year. You made me feel like a loser, so that's what I became. You were a selfish, arrogant, cocky git that didn't give two shits about our friendship! It meant nothing to you!"

That, right there did it. I respect Anna, yes, but she had absolutely no right to call me those things. Did she know what being me was like? No, no she didn't. I tried to supress my anger, but it already reached its boiling point. "You're right, I didn't make an effort to talk to you, I'll admit that. But it's not like you made any effort either! No, you hid behind that stupid poetry book instead! And don't you dare call me those things. You don't even know how hard it is have a large amount of pressure on you. I told you how I felt about it! I thought that you, being my best friend, would understand! I was clearly wrong!" I felt bad about calling her poetry book stupid. I knew how much she loved poetry, and to be honest, _I _even held a high regard for that poetry book. She would read them to me all the time. It's because of Anna and that book that I'm in love with "The Road Not Taken". It was the first one she read to me.

She didn't say anything for a bit, but her eyes began to water. Those beautiful green eyes, the eyes that spoke to me in a different language, were now flooded with tears. I was still breathing hard from my outburst, and I know my gaze still remained hard on Anna. I could tell she was scared of me; she was scared of me yelling, shouting, fighting with her. It was a side of me she'd never seen before.

It took a while for her voice to return, although it was shaky when it did. "You wanna know why I left in fourth year?" Oh no, not this again.

"What the hell, Anna? Did you not understand me before? I don't want to revisit the row we had!" And I really didn't. I meant what I said before. She needed to stop making me feel like shit.

"I'm not talking about the fucking fight, Cedric!" Her swearing was all that was needed to shut my mouth. I tried not to look afraid, so I kept my gaze hard. I never took my eyes off her. I let her speak.

"I didn't leave because of what happened between us…I left because Garrett died." My heart dropped inside. I did not see that coming. Garrett and I were friends. We weren't close, but I respected him. He was a genuine person, but most of all, he was a good brother to Anna. They had always been inseparable. For her to lose him…Now, I felt bad. I was about to apologize when she held up her hand to silence me.

"I'm not done, let me finish." I nodded my head and let her continue.

"At the beginning of fourth year, my parents sent me a letter as per usual, except this letter was different. In that letter, my parents explained to me that Garrett was sick with a disease…a terminal disease. You know how close we were, that was clear. After receiving that letter, I realized that he wouldn't live forever, that his days were numbered. I didn't know what else to do. So I blocked myself off from the world." She was crying like crazy now. She should be. I could feel myself wanting to join her, but I didn't. I didn't say anything, just kept silent. I never looked away from her eyes, the eyes that held truth.

She continued. "I decided that the world was a bad place, that it hated me. That's why I stopped talking to you and Cho. That's why I stopped attending classes. That's why my grades suffered. And that's why I turned to poetry. I hid behind my poetry book because I thought it could shield me from the world of shit around me. Cho at least tried to ask what was wrong. But you…you didn't do anything. It's like you didn't even care. I could've died and you wouldn't have noticed. You were too busy dissecting every last bit of attention you could get. I wondered if our friendship ever even meant _anything_ to you." _Please Anna, don't say that. Our friendship meant the world to me! I know I was a jerk, an arse, whatever you want to say. But don't accuse me of never caring_. I wanted to say something, to hug her tight and tell her it wasn't her fault, to comfort her, to wipe away her tears. It pained me to see Anna like this. It pained me to see my best friend like this.

"That day you stole my book, I felt like such a loser. Not because I was being publicly humiliated in front of a group of boys, not because I was crying over something as little as a poetry book, but because you, Cedric Diggory, my best friend for four years decided to betray me. And for what? For popularity. That was like a slap in the face, you know that?" What _she_ just said was like a slap in the face. A well-deserved one. She said she felt like a loser because I betrayed our friendship. I realized the part about our friendship, but I didn't know she felt like a _loser._ That was something I never, ever wanted anyone, especially Anna, to feel like. She was crying hard now.

"To see your 'best friend' making fun of you, laughing at you, not standing up for you. And you wanna know the reason why that book meant so much to me? That book was a present from Garrett on my eleventh birthday. It was the last thing I had to remember him by. I kept it with me wherever I went because I felt like he was always with me, even though he wasn't." That I didn't know. And why didn't I know? Because I didn't bother to talk to Anna. Now, I felt like killing myself. Between sobs, sniffles, and tears, Anna continued.

"The day of Garrett's funeral, I made a promise. I vowed that I wouldn't let anybody take the upper hand on me. I vowed I wouldn't let the past ruin my future. I vowed that I would change anything and everything I could about me to make a person that wasn't weak. And that's why I came back; I came back to prove to _you_ that you couldn't do something like what you did in fourth year and just get away with it. I came back to start fresh, not be the 'loser girl' in Ravenclaw." So she changed because of me…I felt like throwing up. It made me sick to think that I was the one who caused Anna so much misery, so much torture. _She was my best friend. _Adding in the fact that her brother died made me want to vomit even more.

By the way she said the last part, I could tell she had no more to say. She said it all, every last bit of it. Ours eyes locked for a moment, as if she was hoping I would say something, anything. But I stayed quiet. I could feel tears beginning to prick at the corners of my eyes, but I was able to hold them back. I wanted to cry because of the how much I hurt her. I wanted to cry because she lost her brother. I wanted to cry because I betrayed our friendship. I wanted to cry because she changed herself. But I couldn't cry…I wouldn't. Not in front of Anna.

Anna could see it was done, neither of us needed to say anymore. She tried to push past me and I let her. It was useless trying to stop her. I watched her walk out of the classroom, my eyes trailing the floor she stepped on. To my surprise, they stopped and turned around. I looked up again when I saw her facing me. "I forgive, but I don't forget Cedric. Remember that." With that, she rushed off to the Ravenclaw Tower. I could hear her sobs and sniffles from a mile away. No matter how much I wanted to go after her, I stayed put. My feet were glued to the floor. I was still trying to take it all in when Professor Snape walked into the room. _Perfect timing. _

"Mr. Diggory, I just saw Miss Summers running through the halls, crying. Would you happen to know something about that?" he raised an eyebrow at me, as if he already knew the answer.

"We just…had a disagreement, Professor. Nothing of your concern, sir."

"It is of my concern when you were _both_ supposed to spend a full 2 hours serving detention in _my_ class." His nasal voice was both annoying and belittling.

"I apologize, Professor Snape. I should be thanking you for giving me and my partner another chance to brew the potion."

"Indeed. Look, Mr. Diggory, if you and your partner are incapable of working cooperatively together, I could always arrange for you to do your own separate assignments. I'm sure that will work to the benefit of you both."

I thought about it for a while. Potions class was probably the only chance I would get to talk to Anna. But it was clear that we wouldn't be talking for a while. I needed to make a fair decision on behalf of us both.

"We'd both appreciate that very much, Professor."

"Very well. I will give it to you both next week. You may leave now, Mr. Diggory."

"Goodnight, Professor Snape." He nodded and I left the Potions classroom.

* * *

It was only shortly after 8, but I wasn't in the mood to see or talk to anyone. My head was hurting; my mind was replaying the fight Anna and I had over and over again. I couldn't forget the look on her face, the tears in her eyes, the way her voice shook when she spoke. I suddenly felt dizzy, until I heard someone call my name.

"Cedric! Cedric, are you okay?" I instantly recognized it as Cho's voice. I felt her come up beside me.

"Yeah, I'm fine just…dizzy." I felt like I was losing my balance. The desire to throw up was returning.

"I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey needs to have a look at you." I felt her loop her arm through mine, supporting me. I didn't resist. I felt horrible. I generally didn't like going to the Hospital Wing, unless I really needed to, like for Quidditch injuries after a game. But this time, I felt worse than being hurt in a Quidditch game.

It took about half an hour to get to the Hospital Wing. Normally, it would've only taken a few, but I wasn't fully capable of walking independently. Poor Cho. She had to practically carry me from one end of the castle to another. And I towered over her in comparison! I felt really bad, especially because she was my girlfriend.

When we arrived at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey wasted no time in telling Cho to get me on one of the beds. Cho gently placed me down, and seemed more than grateful to not have to lug me around anymore. Her and Madam Pomfrey said a few things to each other, then Madam Pomfrey left.

"She's just going to get some medicine. I can't stay, Ced, she won't let me. But I promise I'll come see you in the morning. I love you so much," she kissed my cheek lightly before leaving. I'd have to give her a proper "Thank You" when I built up enough strength. I groaned in pain. My head felt like it was on fire and my stomach felt like I got punched twenty times. I tried not to think of the fight, or the pain. But it was hard. It was hard to not think of how much you hurt the best thing that ever happened to you. Madam Pomfrey was gone, I was alone. _I was alone._ I let the tears fall, the tears that had been dying to fall since Anna left, since she came back, since our second fight. I never cried before in my life, but I guess there's a first time for everything.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: It Takes Time

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. I only own my OC's and the plot of this fanfic.

**Anna P.O.V.**

Crying. That's all I did when I returned from the detention for Snape. I didn't even care that I left ahead of when I was supposed to. It was too much to handle being in the same room as _him_. I promised myself I wouldn't cry over him every again. But just like before, he broke me, made me weak. It looks like my plan was doomed right from the start. My mind played the argument over and over again; Cedric's yelling, the shouting, the screaming, the tears I shed. I never saw Cedric angry like that before. Sure, he would get frustrated over Quidditch, homework, tests, but nothing ever that intense. I shuddered in my bed when I thought of it all. I thought of his eyes. Their original beauty was lost and turned to flames right in front of me.

I hadn't cried this much since Garrett's funeral. Is it possible that I'm crying more than I did then? Perhaps. I wasn't crying just because of the fight; I was crying because of all the pain he caused me, the ways I tried to change myself, finding out he actually cared about our friendship, Garrett's death, my fight with Cho, and I cried because as much as I hate to admit it, I missed having Cedric as my best friend. I missed just having him in my life. _I missed him. _I'd been running from it my whole life. I've been trying to run away from the truth, but clearly it's caught up with me. I know he's been trying to sort everything out. But he needs to realize that that takes time. That's what I need: time.

I'd need all the time in the world, if only that was possible. I needed lots of time to recover, emotionally. I'd need time to work out things between the two of us. I mean, I know he screwed up in fourth year. But this wasn't even about that anymore. It was about mending the friendship we used to have. If that friendship was as important to him as it was to me, he would try to do the same. But again, it wouldn't happen overnight. If only. It's evident that Cedric's suffered, too. And it's even more evident that he cared about me. Even if that feeling has supressed slowly over the years, he did care at one point. _It's time to forgive him, Anna. _Yes, yes it was.

Not only would I have to sort things out with Cedric, I'd have to sort things out with Cho. I meant what I said to her; she needed to see how she had no business getting involved with what happened between Cedric and me. I could care less if they were together. Cho and I would have to talk it out eventually. It was only about eight o'clock, so she probably wouldn't come back till later. Maybe she was with Cedric.

After a few more minutes of crying, I decided I needed to cheer myself up. I couldn't keep going through life all depressed. So I pulled out my poetry book. I started at the very first one and worked my way through the book. I could feel my eyes growing heavier after the first few poems, but I didn't want to put the book down. I kept going, reading through each page, until I fell into a deep sleep…

* * *

I woke up bright and early the next morning. When I did, Emily Dickinson's "Hope" was looking me right in the eye. I chuckled to myself and then got up. I took a quick shower and got changed into my school robes. My eyes were still pretty red from my intense crying session last night, but I didn't care. People knew I had detention with Snape and that was explanation enough.

Cho wasn't in her bed. She probably already went down to breakfast. I reminded myself that I needed to talk with her as soon as possible. I used a drying charm on my hair and put some mascara and lip gloss on. I couldn't look like I just got into a nasty fight with a dragon. I decided to leave my hair down and in its wavy state. I took one last look at myself in the mirror before heading down to the Great Hall.

As always, it was packed. I didn't catch sight of Cho though. I still took a seat at the Ravenclaw table and got a plate of food. While I was eating, I noticed Cedric wasn't sitting at the Hufflepuff table either. Where were those two? I started getting curious. But even if something happened, would they tell me about it? Probably not. They both probably didn't want to talk to me.

I kept eating when I heard a group of boys come into the hall. I recognized one of them as Derrick Aidan, one of Cedric's close friends. _He'd probably know where Cedric is, _I thought. I grabbed my bag and ditched my meal, not caring if there was still almost half of it left. When Derrick caught sight of me, he looked surprised. But also disappointed.

"Where's Cedric?" I may've sounded harsh, but I didn't care, especially when I didn't particularly favour the person I was talking to.

"We were just talking about it," he motioned to the other boys he was with. "Apparently Ced's got himself in the Hospital Wing."

_The Hospital Wing?_ I started getting worried. This wasn't good. Cedric never liked the Hospital Wing. He only went if he really needed to. That told me the situation was urgent. "How did you find out? Did it just happen last night?" I wondered if it had something to do with our fight.

"Well, Cho told me that he wasn't feeling well after detention with Snape, so she brought him there. That's all I know…oh wait, if you want, I know Cho went to the Hospital Wing this morning to check on him. You could go before class starts, I guess."

"I will. Um, thanks, Derrick." He gave me a "No Problem" and I headed off to the Hospital Wing.

I was almost there, when I heard someone call my name. "Anna!" _Oh no, not now. Please, not now._

"Can I talk to you for a second?" I turned around to see Bryan Chase's glorious face. I inwardly cursed the bad timing.

"Yeah, sure. But it'll have to be quick. I kinda have somewhere to go." I didn't want to sound rude, but it wasn't like there was an eternity of time before the first class of the day.

"Okay, I'll make it short. But are we still on for Saturday? You know, the date at Hogsmeade?"

I blushed, remembering him asking me out. "Yes, of course. Wait, it's a date?"

"If you want it to be." He smiled warmly at me. "I'll pick you up at eleven at the Ravenclaw Tower."

"Okay then. I'm sorry to have to run off but…"

"I know, I know. You have somewhere to be. You're always so busy. I'll catch you later." That's when he planted the smallest, most delicate kiss on my right cheek before walking off. _Merlin, Bryan Chase just kissed me on the cheek. _I would've started doing cartwheels and jumping up and down if there weren't other students and professors around. _Um, Anna? Aren't you forgetting about something?_ Right, right. Go to the Hospital Wing. No more distractions. I cursed myself again for getting distracted too easily.

* * *

When I got to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was standing in front of the door.

"Good morning, Madam Pomfrey." I gave her a pleasant smile.

"Oh good morning, Adrianna. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could pay someone a visit…"

"Well, seeing as though Cedric Diggory is the only patient I have at the moment, I'm going to assume it's him you wish to see?" I blushed. She took that as confirmation. "Yes dear, you may see him. Last bed on the right."

"Okay, thank you." I entered the Hospital Wing and suddenly got nervous. _What was I going to say to him? _I couldn't just ask like nothing happened. I can't just tell him I had the most miraculous realization last night that I learned to forgive him. I really need to work on being more prepared for these kinds of confrontations.

I walked further into the Wing until I saw him lying down in one of the beds. He was reading a book, though I couldn't tell what it was. I noticed a bouquet of red roses on the bedside table sitting in a glass vase. _Cho,_ I thought to myself, _you should've gotten him daffodils. Those are his favourites. _

He looked up from his book upon hearing the close footsteps. He was visibly shocked when he saw that it was me who decided to see him. We looked at each other for a while. It seemed like ages that I was swimming in his deep blue-grey eyes. I decided to break the staring contest and I took a seat on an empty chair next to his bed.

"Hey," It was the only thing I could come up with for now.

"Hi," He seemed just as equally lost for words.

"Are you alright? Derrick told me what happened."

At first, he seemed surprise, probably because he didn't expect Derrick and me to act nice to each other. But he ignored the matter. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a little sick last night." He sounded so serious, so unlike Cedric. I guess the sickness drained a little bit more out of him than expected.

I looked down and started fiddling my thumbs. It was probably because of me that he felt that way. I took a deep breath before speaking. "We need to talk."

"We are talking." He had an edge in his voice. He seemed annoyed by my presence.

"What I meant was that we need to talk about last night, about everything."

He raised an eyebrow at me, somewhat confused. It was almost like he was saying "_There's nothing that needs to be discussed."_ But he still said, "Fine, what do you have to say?"

I took a deep breath. "Look, I know that things happened in the past between us, good and not so good. But the point is that those things are in the past. That's where they should stay, at least the bad things. I was being immature when I kept bringing it up. I know it's time that I got over it all." I paused for a moment, unsure of what to say next. When I found the right words, I continued. "It'll take time, lots of time, but I want to stop this feuding between us. It clearly isn't healthy for you." He chuckled lightly at my sarcasm and wit. "I want to move on, away from the past. I apologize for anything hurtful that I've said to you since I got here. I want to start over, our friendship, I mean. I guess what I'm trying to say is that…I forgive you."

When I was finished talking, Cedric stared at me for a moment, and then looked down at his hands, as if there was some sort of divine answer lying in his palms. It took him a while to look up again, but when he did, he was smiling his usual kind smile. He stuck out his right hand. "It's Cedric. Cedric Diggory."

I was a little surprised by his formality, but I soon caught on. I flashed him a sweet smile of my own and shook his hand with one of mine. "Adrianna Summers. Nice to meet you Cedric Diggory."

* * *

After my visit to the Hospital Wing, I was feeling much better. I took the first step. I accepted Cedric's apology. Like I said before, it was going to take time for our friendship to develop again, but he made it clear he was just as willing as I was to make it work.

Classes that day weren't too bad. Maybe my good mood just caused the day to go by fast. I went back to the Ravenclaw Tower to start working on a Charms assignment in the Common Room. When I got there, I saw Cho sitting on the couch. She stood up instantly when she heard me come in, and I knew she was waiting for me.

"Anna," she said innocently. I walked towards the fireplace and sat down on the floor. We sat in silence for a while before she spoke up again.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I was wrong to say all those things."

"No, I'm sorry for being impulsive and irrational. I shouldn't have got angry. You were just trying to help."

"Can we just forgive each other and move on?"

"Of course, Cho. I mean if we didn't, who else would I tell about the kiss Bryan Chase gave me earlier today?" I smiled at her and she immediately plopped down on the floor next to me. She hugged me quickly first, and then interrogated me for the next hour about Bryan. _So much for the Charms paper. _

* * *

I was glad Cedric and I are on good terms now. Obviously, it isn't like old times, but at least we could talk without me feeling the desire to slap him in the face. Again, it would take a while to build up our friendship again. Making up with Cho was another highlight of my week. All in all, it was a pretty good week.

It was Thursday, which meant that my date with Bryan was only two days away. I couldn't contain my excitement! I would talk to Cho about him almost all day, and it got to the point where I think she was starting to feel like casting _Stupefy_ on me. I didn't care though. She'd have to get used to me talking about him all the time. It would happen often. But the person I didn't tell about my date was Cedric. Personally, I didn't feel he had to know. Of course I'd tell him after this Saturday. I didn't see a need for him to know.

* * *

Professor Snape was more than confused when Cedric and I agreed to work together again. Apparently he knew of the little row we had the other night and assumed we couldn't cooperate. But Cedric and I were glad to be working together again.

"So what you mean to tell me is that you _want_ to brew the potion together again?" Snape's nasal voice made me want to laugh every time, but that obviously wouldn't be respectful. He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, Professor Snape." Cedric and I replied at the same time.

"Is this your _final _decision Mr. Diggory, Miss Summers?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will grant you wish, but be grateful that I am a considerate person. I would not do this for all my students."

We both offered a quick "Thank you" before he shooed us out at the end of class.

After dinner, Cedric and I decided to spend some time in the library. Cho said she couldn't come because she was stacked with homework that night. So the two of us chose to go without her.

We sat at an empty table, Cedric reading a book of his and me reading my poetry book. We read in a friendly silence for about half an hour when somebody approached us. "Hey Diggory! Hey Anna." It was Bryan Chase. My heart nearly stopped. He looked like he had just taken a shower, with his hair all damp, some parts sticking to his face. _Don't let yourself think things like that Anna! _I scolded myself for letting those kinds of thoughts wander into my head. I blushed when he flashed me his award-winning smile. Cedric, on the other hand, didn't look too pleased that he interrupted what seemed to be an important part in his book.

"Hi Bryan," I kind of giggled when I answered him.

"Hello Bryan." Someone could sense Cedric's annoyed tone from a mile away.

"Mind if I join you two?"

"Of course not! Here, sit." I pulled out the empty chair next to me. It was obvious Cedric didn't want to sit next to him.

"Thanks," he sat down and then looked at me. He smiled before leaning in closer and whispering something barely audible. "It's only two days away." He was so close I could smell his minty fresh breath. I could tell my cheeks probably turned crimson at his close proximity and the context of what he said. _Indeed, _I thought, _it is only two days away. _

"I wish it would come sooner." Oh Merlin. I wasn't supposed to say that out loud!

He laughed heartily, his toned chest rising and falling with every chuckle. "Same here, don't worry. But you don't think we're rushing into things, do you?"

"No, definitely not. I mean it's just a date right?" I noticed Cedric's head shoot up at my mentioning the word "date". _Oh no, smooth move Anna. _

"I'm sorry, did you just say you two were going on a date?"

I felt my cheeks begin to grow hot. This is why I intended to tell Cedric _after_ my date with Bryan.

"I'm taking her to Hogsmeade this Saturday actually." Bryan smiled at Cedric, but Cedric wasn't really in the mood for one.

To my surprise, Cedric smiled mischievously, as if he had just come up with some clever plan. "Actually, it's quite funny you should mention that Bryan." He then looked straight at me with that sly smile. "Because I just remembered that Cho and I are taking a trip to Hogsmeade this Saturday, as well." _Oh no! No no no no no. Absolutely not! _

"Brilliant! We can all go together!" My jaw dropped at what Bryan just suggested. _Do you own a brain? Honestly! _I mean, he sure does own a face, there's no hiding that…

"That's perfect then. I'm sure Cho would love to join us. All _four _of us." He turned his head to look at me when he said that last part. I knew it was intended for me, Ced. I didn't need a teasing smile or a direct look in my direction to get the hint.

"Excellent!" Bryan clapped his hands loudly, making me practically jump out of my seat. He earned himself a harsh _'Shhh'_ from Madam Pince. I noticed Cedric chuckling and shaking his head in his seat. "I plan on picking Anna up at the Ravenclaw Tower, so you can do the same with Cho. For convenience, of course."

"That sounds _very_ convenient." I rolled my eyes at Cedric's annoying tone.

"Great. I should be heading off, though. I have some important homework to attend to." Cedric raised an eyebrow, as if questioning this bloke's study habits. I rolled my eyes again at his immaturity.

"So I'll see you later Cedric. And I'll see you, Anna, hopefully sooner," I giggled when he reached for my right hand and kissed it gently. When, he walked off, I started giggling like there was no tomorrow. Cedric, on the other hand, wasn't so giddy.

"Next time, can you tell your little friend not to interrupt when the book's just gotten to the good part?" He then muttered something about '_no good prat'. _That's when I started to flick his arm. He was more than startled.

"What the hell are you doing? Ow, Anna, stop that!"

"You shouldn't have invited yourself and Cho on _my _date with Bryan! What the hell were you thinking?" I kept flicking him. It got tiring after a while, so I switched to hitting him with my poetry book instead.

"Ow! Anna, stop!" Between defending himself from my vicious attacks, he managed to speak. "I just thought that it'd be convenient for all of us to go together. We were probably going to see each other anyway, so what's the big deal?"

"The _big deal_ is that it was supposed to be just the two of us, _alone! _But I see now it's going to be the two of us, plus you and Cho." I kept hitting him with my book.

After a while of hitting Cedric, it got funny. I put the book back down on the table and started laughing. He joined in soon. The two of us were laughing so loud, I'm sure people in the Great Hall could hear us. It wasn't long before Madam Pince came marching over, scolding us, and then kicking us out for our rowdy behaviour. Me and Cedric were still laughing as we made it out to the corridor.

"That woman needs a good laugh." I chuckled at what Cedric said.

"Well, it's none of your business critiquing what other people find funny." We both laughed at my joke.

"You're right. I should keep my comments to myself."

We walked in silence the rest of the way to the Ravenclaw common room. It was awkward, needless to say. We never had these kinds of awkward silences before, but I had to remember that this wasn't "before". This was our new friendship, and it needed time.

When we arrived at the Ravenclaw Tower, I turned to face Cedric. "You know, you really didn't have to walk me back here. I know this place like the back of my hand."

He chuckled. "I don't doubt your intelligence, Anna. But it's late, and I don't trust this castle at night. Besides, I have Prefect duty to attend to, so I don't mind walking a late-night wanderer back to her common room."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Late-night wanderer, huh? I always knew I was the sneaky type." We both laughed for a moment. "But thanks anyway, Ced. Goodnight."

He smiled. "Goodnight, Anna." And we both parted ways.

I was surprised to find a flustered-looking Cho still awake, sitting on one of the couches in the common room, doing homework. I immediately approached her. "Still awake are we, Miss Chang?" Her eyes shot up and I could tell she was stressed.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I had a huge load of work to do. I don't mean to be rude or anything, Anna, but I can't get distracted easily…"

"I know, I know. Don't worry, Cho. I'm just joking with you. I understand what you mean, so I'll just go to bed now."

It was clear she felt guilty about not greeting me properly. "I'm sorry I couldn't join you and Cedric tonight."

"Cho, don't apologize. It's not your fault professors enjoy bombarding innocent students with homework, now is it? Oh, and speaking of your boyfriend, it turns out my date with Bryan on Saturday has turned from a party of two into a party of four."

"Wait, Cedric did that? Oh, I will have a stern talking to with that boy!"

I laughed at her strict, mother-like tone. "Please Cho, we all know that'll just end up in you two snogging." She blushed at what I said. She knew it was true.

"Right…but I'm still talking to him."

"Don't worry about it. Bryan actually seemed happy with the idea. So I guess it's alright with me."

"Okay, well, if you're sure.

"I am. And I'll head up now so I can leave you to your…uh…labour?"

Cho laughed. "Goodnight, Anna."

I quickly washed up and got dressed in my pajamas. I hopped into bed, and read a quick poem before drifting off to sleep. My dreams were filled with images of Bryan Chase. _It's only two days away, Anna. _I thought about how good the date was going to go, even though Cedric and Cho would be joining us. _Oh well, I guess you can't have it all._

* * *

**There's Chapter Seven! I hope you all enjoy it! Read and review! **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Everything Has Its Place In Time 

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter. I only own my OC's and the plot of this fanfic.

**Cedric P.O.V.**

I woke up that morning with a huge headache. I felt like I got hit with a bludger a hundred times. That's when I noticed my surroundings. It took me a while to remember that I landed myself in the Hospital Wing last night. My heart sunk when I remembered that it was Cho that had to practically carry me all the way here. _Cho, what would I do without you? _It took me more time to remember the fight I had with Anna. I groaned in both pain and frustration. My body ached all over and thinking about the things Anna and I said to each didn't exactly help dilute the pain.

I looked at the clock. It read 7:00. That meant classes would be starting soon. Madam Pomfrey came in when she saw I was awake to give me some more of that horrid, green medicine. At this point, I could care less how it tasted, if only it would heal me faster.

It wasn't long before I heard Madam Pomfrey speaking to someone outside the door. I really wasn't at all prepared for visitors. But after recognizing whose voice I heard, my spirits weren't dampened anymore.

"I don't think it's a good idea to see him, dear. He isn't feeling at all well and needs his rest." Madam Pomfrey took her job very seriously. Sometimes, a little too serious.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey. I promised him I would see him in the morning," Cho pleaded. "Plus, he _is_ my boyfriend. I feel somewhat responsible for his well-being." I smiled. It was true. Cho always cared about my health.

After some silence, which I assumed to be Madam Pomfrey's pondering the thought, she gave in. "Oh alright, but not too long, okay?"

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

I heard Cho's light footsteps begin to draw nearer. She immediately smiled when she saw I was awake.

"Hey," she wore a small smile. I could tell she'd been worrying about me.

"Hi," I motioned for her to sit at the side of my bed. She did, but still looked somewhat distressed.

"I've been worried sick about you. I'm not going to lie." She lowered her head, focussing on the white linens.

"Cho, we've gone through this before. I don't want you worrying so much about me. I'm fine." I tried to reassure her. I sat up and began rubbing her back lightly.

"I know, Ced, it's just…well, with us not seeing each over the summer, homework, tests, and everything else going on, we haven't got to spend a lot of time together." Her eyes were watery, and I could tell she'd been thinking about this for a long time.

I lifted her chin with my finger to look back up at me. "I don't want you feeling like this, Cho. And I know that our time together has been limited since the year began, but hey, there's still time left right? Plus, we have our date on Saturday at Hogsmeade, right?"

She gave me a slight smile. She was still worried, but at least she wasn't so sad. "Right. I'm sorry for having to bring this up all the time, Cedric."

"Don't even apologize, okay? I want you to remember that I love you. If you're happy, then I'm happy. But if you're not, then I'm not." I gave her a knowing look.

She then gave me her usual sweet smile. "Okay, I'm happy now." She kissed me on the cheek. "But I've got to get to breakfast. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer."

"No worries, love. I understand." I grinned at her.

"Do you know when they're letting you out?"

"Madam Pomfrey said that I'm free to go this afternoon if I'm feeling better by then, which I should be."

"That's great! Maybe, if you're feeling better, we can hang out later in the library or something."

"For sure Cho. I'd love to."

She stood up and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too."

She walked off, but then stopped in her tracks when she reached the door. She pulled out her wand, and with a flick, a vase of red roses immediately appeared on the bedside table next to me. I also noticed that a book landed gracefully on my lap. With a quick wink, Cho exited the Hospital Wing. I shook my head and laughed at her cleverness.

I observed the roses. They were beautiful, but they didn't stand out to me. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against roses, or anybody that likes them, it's just that my favourite flowers are daffodils. _Come on, Cedric, does that really matter? At least she was kind enough to think of giving them to you. _I guess. I looked at the book and realized that it was my favourite one of all time. Well, actually, it was my favourite play of all time. It was William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". I've had this book since the day of my thirteenth birthday. I probably left it with Cho the other night when we were studying together. Probably because I took it wherever I went. I remember the day I got this book. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

* * *

_"Happy Birthday Cedric!" Anna greeted me with a huge hug on the morning of my thirteenth birthday, June 24__th__ 1999. _

_"Thanks for remembering, Anna!" I didn't hesitate in returning her embrace._

_"How could I forget? We've been best friends since first year." _

_"I know, but still…thank you." We broke out of our embrace and I smiled widely at her. _

_"Do you wanna go for a walk with me by the Black Lake? After all, it _is_ your birthday and we only have a few more days of school left before the summer holidays." She looked sad when she said the last part. Saying goodbye to each other before summer was always difficult because we wouldn't be able to see each other for a whole two months. _

_I tried to reassure her. "I'd love to. But don't focus on that, Anna. We still have time together."_

_She instantly perked up. "Of course we do! Let's not waste any minute of it!" She looped her arm through mine and we walked out of the castle and headed for the Black Lake. _

_It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was bright, the air was cool, and the water of the lake was calm. We walked around for a little, talking about the letter that my parents had sent me. They told me that their surprise for me would be waiting for me when I got home. I couldn't wait to see what it was! Anna and I had been trying to guess for the past half hour what they could've gotten for me, but all of our guesses seemed to be either too far-fetched or too simple and impersonal. _

_After a while of walking, we both decided to sit down in our favourite spot: a patch of grass under a big willow tree. From there, you had a great view of everything—the lake, the castle, the Quidditch Pitch. It was a treasure Anna and I discovered in first year after running away from an irritated Filch one day we went into an area students were not permitted in. _

_I sat down on the ground, leaning my back against the trunk of the willow tree. Anna sat across from me. When she saw I was settled in a comfortable position, she whispered a quick "Wait here!" Before I knew it, I saw Anna running towards one of the taller trees around us, and she started climbing it. I laughed when I saw her little legs moving quickly up the first couple branches. Anna was always good at climbing trees, probably because it was something the two of us enjoyed doing together. She sprinted back to our spot, and I noticed she was holding something behind her back. She beamed at me before sitting down on the grass, careful not to give me any views of whatever she was hiding. After a few questioning looks from me, she rolled her eyes and brought her hands to the front to reveal that she was holding a package covered in blue wrapping paper. She smiled, handed it to me and said, "Happy Birthday, Ced." _

_I took it from her, surprised that she got me a gift. Sure, we'd given each other small things before, but this looked like something she put lots of thought into. There was a card attached to the wrapping paper. I was about to open and read it when Anna's hand stopped me from doing so. "You should just read that later…preferably, with no one around." She seemed embarrassed about whatever she had wrote in the card, but I smiled and kept the card closed, laying it on the ground. I then began ripping off the wrapping paper, eager to get to the underlying mystery it held. When I saw what it was, I looked up at Anna with a huge smile. She replied with a shrug and a grin. "I know you've been wanting it for forever. I remember you passing it up that one day we went to Hogsmeade and visited Tomes and Scrolls. So I purchased it when you left to get us a table at The Three Broomsticks. I hope you like it!"_

_I was at a complete loss for words as I marvelled at the hard-cover copy of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet: The Book Version". "I don't just like it, I love it! Anna, you really didn't have to get me anything, but this really means a lot." I said pulling her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around me shortly after. _

_"Well I couldn't just show up empty-handed, now could I?" she joked. We stayed in a tight embrace for a long time before breaking apart. When we did, I planted the tiniest kiss on her right cheek. She blushed at my action. I blushed when she did. It took a while for my voice to return, but when it did, it brought both of us back to reality. "Thank you for being my best friend, Adrianna Summers." _

* * *

_That night, when I finished my Potions homework, I remembered the card that was attached to the present Anna gave me earlier. I remember using it as a bookmarker in the Romeo and Juliet book. I had already started reading it. I took it out of its initial wedged state between two pages. I walked down to the common room and sat by the fire to get a better look at it. I remembered what Anna had said about me reading it alone. I looked around to find an empty common room. Everybody else was still at dinner. _

_I carefully opened the card from the envelope and read Anna's neat, delicate handwriting. _

Dear Cedric,

For starters, Happy Birthday! It seems like it was just yesterday when I was wishing you the same thing for your twelfth birthday. Time does fly by fast, huh? You should know that I'm still upset your birthday comes a whole two months before mine. I hate being younger than you by two months.

_I chuckled at the first paragraph. Anna always knew how to make me laugh. I continued reading._

_Secondly, I received an owl from my parents this morning. They, too, wish you a happy birthday. Apart from the birthday greeting, it pretty much said the same things as always—keep up with the studying, stay away from the boys, keep Cedric in line, you know, those things. Garrett's doing well, too, and he wished you a good day. _

_I guess I should just get to the point of why I wrote this card for you. Yes, I wrote it because it's your birthday and I wanted to greet you formally. But I also wrote it to thank you. I want to thank you, Cedric Diggory, for being my best friend. I want to thank you for always being there for me, for sticking up for me, for believing in me, for cheering me up when I'm down. I want to thank you for being the kind, genuine person you are, the person that doesn't give in to the pressure that surrounds him. We have a friendship that nobody understands. Sometimes, I'm not even sure if we understand it. _

_Bottom line is that you, Ced, took on the responsibility of being my best friend. That's a position that only someone special can fill, and you're definitely someone special. Even though we'll be separated for the next two months, I'll write to you every day (I better receive a letter every day, too.). I wish you an amazing day. You're an amazing person and friend. You deserve the best. _

_Love, Anna_

_I read the card over three more times before putting it back in the envelope. Every word of it was beautiful, but more importantly, I knew she meant it all. I went back upstairs, and changed and washed up for bed. I know it was early, but I was tired from the day's events. Before climbing into bed, I used a charm on the book Anna gave me that, when flipped to the first blank page, would reveal the card she wrote to me. I would read it every time I opened the book. I promised myself that. _

* * *

I sure followed through with that promise. Even four years later, I still read that card each time I read the "Romeo and Juliet" book. Sure enough, when I opened the book to the first page, Anna's neat handwriting came up. I sighed, remembering how far we've come since third year. More like how much we've both changed and learned to live without each other.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Madam Pomfrey's voice again speaking to another student. I was shocked when I recognized Anna's voice as being the student's.

"Good morning, Madam Pomfrey."

"Oh good morning, Adrianna. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could pay someone a visit…" _She wanted to visit me? Was she not there when our fight took place last night? _

"Well, seeing as though Cedric Diggory is the only patient I have at the moment, I'm going to assume it's him you wish to see?" Anna didn't respond. After all, I _was_ the only patient in the Hospital Wing today.

"Yes dear, you may see him. Last bed on the right."

"Okay, thank you."

_Shit._ I sat up quickly and flipped to a random page of the book. I kept the cover flat on the bed sheets. I couldn't have Anna seeing what I was reading, regardless of the fact that she gave it to me. It would be awkward if she saw me reading it.

I could hear the door open and close, followed by footsteps. I pretended not to notice that she came in, solely focussed on the page I was "reading". As she drew nearer, I felt panic rise up inside of me, but tried to hide it as I looked up at her. We stared at each other for a few passing moments, me getting lost in that immaculate shade of green. Anna got uncomfortable and shifted her gaze over to an empty chair beside my bed. She walked over and sat in it. "Hey," she said. I could tell she felt just as awkward as I did. Her voice now sounded shy and timid, as if she was afraid of talking.

"Hi," I didn't know what to say.

"Are you alright? Derrick told me what happened." Derrick? Since when did you and Derrick get along? I decided not to press the matter.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just felt a little sick last night." She immediately looked down at her hands and began fiddling her thumbs. I recognized the nervous habit of hers and was more than interested in what was on her mind. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"We need to talk."

"We are talking." Maybe I was being harsh. But after all that happened last night, I have to admit that Anna wasn't somebody I was particularly in the mood to speak to.

"What I meant was that we need to talk about last night, about everything." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her statement. She was the one who kept avoiding the conversation, and now she's the one bringing it up? "Fine, what do you have to say?"

She took another deep breath before talking. . "Look, I know that things happened in the past between us, good and not so good. But the point is that those things are in the past. That's where they should stay, at least the bad things. I was being immature when I kept bringing it up. I know it's time that I got over it all." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was surprised, shocked, you name it. She seemed to be at a loss for words, but continued after a few moments. "It'll take time, lots of time, but I want to stop this feuding between us. It clearly isn't healthy for you." I couldn't help but chuckle at what she said. Well, I _am _in the Hospital Wing. "I want to move on, away from the past. I apologize for anything hurtful that I've said to you since I got here. I want to start over, our friendship, I mean. I guess what I'm trying to say is that…I forgive you."

As soon as she said the last few words, I didn't know what to say. More so, I didn't know how I felt. I looked down at my hands for a long time. _Isn't this what you want, Cedric? You've been trying for the past three years to earn her forgiveness. This is your chance. Take it. _It is what I want, and I was more than happy that Anna finally got some sense knocked into her. I looked up at Anna's glowing face, smiling. I stuck out my right hand. "It's Cedric. Cedric Diggory."

She looked somewhat confused at my action, but then caught on. She smiled sweetly and shook my hand with one of hers gently. "Adrianna Summers. Nice to meet you Cedric Diggory."

The two of us chatted for a little while longer. At one point, Anna observed the roses and asked for my opinion. I told her they were lovely, which they were. But I had a feeling she sensed my doubt. Anna knew my favourite flowers were daffodils. She used to pick them for me in the summertime before leaving for the break. I guess it was always her way of saying goodbye. Luckily, though, she didn't notice the "Romeo and Juliet" book. It wasn't the right time for that just yet.

We kept up small conversation for a few more minutes. That is, until Madam Pomfrey reminded Anna that she had classes she needed to attend to. Anna eyes widened when she looked at the time, clearly seeing that she was going to be late. "I guess I'll see you later." She gave me a small smile before leaving. Or should I say, running out of the Wing. I gave her quick 'Goodbye', though I don't think she heard me. It's alright, I wouldn't want to be late for class either, especially if it was class with Snape.

After giving me another dose of the medicine, Madam Pomfrey noticed the roses. "Oh, those are lovely! How nice of your girlfriend to bring them!" She exclaimed. I nodded my head in agreement, still with the same doubt I held before about them. She quietly exited the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

_Wow._ That was really all I could say about what happened with Anna. I mean, she forgave me. _She forgave me._ I realize that it must've taken a lot of thinking, a lot of considering for her to do what she did. I was proud of her. I was proud of Anna. Sure, it was going to take time, something that Anna had mentioned before. But if she was willing to put forth the effort to build up our friendship again, then so was I. Even after three hard years, it was nice to see that we both saw our friendship as something worth fighting for.

* * *

After a quick test, Madam Pomfrey released me from the Hospital Wing, telling me that I was allowed to leave. It felt great being out of there. I needed the fresh air, even if that air was just the air within the castle corridors. I missed Hogwarts, and by that I mean every other part of the castle that _wasn't _the Hospital Wing. I checked the time and saw that Potions class would be over soon. I remember Anna telling me that she wanted to be partners again after I told her that I accepted Snape's offer. I decided I would go to the Potions classroom.

By the time I got there, class was over. Students began filing out of the room, most stopping to say 'Are you okay Cedric?' or 'I heard what happened, mate' or, from the flirtatious folk like Harriet Cartwright, a 'Well, I see that you're looking much, much better' while batting her eyelashes ferociously.

I made my way into the classroom to find Anna talking to Snape. I walked over and Anna gave me a small smile when she saw me. It was evident that she was talking to Snape about the partner situation. After explaining to him what we wanted, he was more than confused.

"So what you mean to tell me is that you _want_ to brew the potion together again?" Snape questioned, as he raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, Professor Snape." Anna and I said in unison.

"Is this your _final _decision Mr. Diggory, Miss Summers?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will grant you wish, but be grateful that I am a considerate person. I would not do this for all my students."

Anna and I politely said "Thank You", but Snape was fast to kick us out of his class.

* * *

After dinner, I met up with Cho and Anna outside the Great Hall. Cho and I had plans to hang out in the library, and it would be rude not to invite Anna.

When I got closer to the two girls, I noticed that Cho was looking a little stressed. Her eyes told the tale. But I ignored the matter. "Cho and I are planning to go to the library tonight. Would you like to come, Anna?" Although we made up and agreed to work on our friendship, things were still awkward between me and Anna. And by the look of it, I could tell she felt the same way.

After a moment's hesitation, she replied, "Sure, sounds fun."

It surprised me, though, when Cho spoke up. "I'm sorry guys, but I have a lot of homework to do tonight. I don't really have time to waste. I'm really sorry. But don't let me stop you! You two can go by yourselves, that's fine with me."

I looked at Anna who seemed to be fine with it, but held the same guilt that I did about leaving Cho alone. "We can go another time, really." I wanted some time with Anna, especially after what happened this morning, but Cho was my girlfriend. She deserved my attention, first and foremost.

"Guys, really, go! I want you to go. I can handle myself."

Anna seemed just as lenient as me, but shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'Yeah okay'. I spoke for the both of us. "Alright, Cho. You go and get some work done." I kissed her and she kissed back.

Anna cleared her throat after a few short moments. I shouldn't have made her feel awkward like that. Instantly, Cho and I broke apart. We muttered a quick 'Love you' to each other before Anna and I took off for the library. When we got there, we chose to sit at an empty table near the back. It was more private and more serene, if that were even possible with a strict Madam Pince guarding every inch of the place.

We kept to ourselves the whole time, Anna reading her poetry book and I reading "Hogwarts: A History" because of an upcoming assignment. I wanted to bring my "Romeo and Juliet" book that Anna gave me, but I was sure it would turn out to be an awkward conversation if she saw me reading it. Bringing back memories was not exactly a step we were ready to take yet.

We read in a friendly silence for about half an hour. That is, until someone decided to approach us. "Hey Diggory! Hey Anna." Oh great. Did this git, Bryan Chase, really have the nerve to interrupt my reading time? Or, more importantly, my time with Anna? Yes, she is a pretty girl, but that didn't automatically give him the right to intrude.

"Hi Bryan," Anna giggled at his greeting and I felt like vomiting all over again.

"Hello Bryan." I acknowledged him, but tried my best to pretend he didn't even exist. His presence wasn't wanted after all. Well, maybe _I_ was the only one who didn't want him there. Anna, on the other hand, would've gladly done all his homework if asked right then and there.

"Mind if I join you two?" _Well, I obviously do. _

"Of course not! Here, sit." I rolled my eyes at Anna's hospitality for this bloke, but neither of them noticed. What made him so special? It felt like I didn't even exist.

"Thanks," Brian gladly took the seat and then focussed all his attention on Anna. I kept trying to read my book, but it was increasingly difficult. I was able to block out the two of them for a good couple minutes. They kept whispering things to each other. I couldn't understand what either of them said, but by the giggles and smirks, I could tell Bryan was using his supposed "moves".

Things were alright for a few moments. That is, until I heard Anna say something that caught all my attention ."No, definitely not. I mean it's just a date right?" Did she just say "date"?! A date with Bryan Chase? _Oh no. _I shot my head up as soon as she said the word. She saw me and knew she'd been caught. It was clear on her face that she didn't intend on telling me.

"I'm sorry, did you just say you two were going on a date?"

I could see Anna grow red, probably a combination of both embarrassment and anger. She was embarrassed that I had to find out this way, but angry because I didn't just let it go. Typical Anna.

"I'm taking her to Hogsmeade this Saturday actually." Now, I was furious. First, he interrupts my time with Anna. Then, he tells me that he asked her out. Wait…did he just say Hogsmeade this Saturday? _Well, what a coincidence, huh? _

I could see Anna's confused expression when I smiled coyly. _This is perfect. Pure gold._ "Actually, it's quite funny you should mention that Bryan." I looked directly at Anna. "Because I just remembered that Cho and I are taking a trip to Hogsmeade this Saturday, as well." I could already see the fire in those green eyes. Anna was pissed, but she deserved it for agreeing to go out with someone like Bryan.

"Brilliant! We can all go together!" Anna's jaw dropped at what her date suggested. It made the situation all the more satisfying. _You know Bryan, I'm actually kind of glad you chose to interrupt. _

"That's perfect then. I'm sure Cho would love to join us. All _four _of us." I emphasized the last part and smiled right at Anna. She looked livid, but hey, Bryan agreed to the arrangement. All she could do was go along with it.

"Excellent!" Bryan clapped his hands loudly. He earned himself a harsh _'Shhh'_ from Madam Pince. Normally, I would've given him a stern look since I hardly ever associated with people like him. But in this case, all I could do was laugh to myself and shake my head. When he saw that Madam Pince wasn't looking anymore, he continued. "I plan on picking Anna up at the Ravenclaw Tower, so you can do the same with Cho. For convenience, of course."

"That sounds _very_ convenient." I could see Anna roll those beautiful eyes of hers.

"Great. I should be heading off, though. I have some important homework to attend to." _Homework? You are definitely NOT the kind of person that considers homework a priority. _I could only raise an eyebrow in disbelief. I received a scoff from Anna who rolled her eyes.

"So I'll see you later Cedric. And I'll see you, Anna, hopefully sooner," I rolled my eyes at this guy's ego. What really ticked me off was when he reached for Anna's hand and kissed it. _He's got class_, I thought. But there was another voice in my head that said, "_Yes well, that's only because he's got experience." _I frowned at the thought of Anna just being another one of those girls. Neither of them noticed, though.

After Bryan left, I was left with a very giggly Anna. It got aggravating after a few moments, so I spoke my mind. "Next time, can you tell your little friend not to interrupt when the book's just gotten to the good part?" I then muttered, "That stupid, no good prat" but Anna didn't hear. All of a sudden, I feel sharp pain on my arm. I look up to see Anna furiously flicking my arm.

"What the hell are you doing? Ow, Anna, stop that!"

"You shouldn't have invited yourself and Cho on _my _date with Bryan! What the hell were you thinking?" I guess I saw this coming. After some hundred flicks, she seemed to get bored and switched to hitting me with her book.

"Ow! Anna, stop!" I kept trying to defend myself with flailing arms. "I just thought that it'd be convenient for all of us to go together. We were probably going to see each other anyway, so what's the big deal?" Of course I didn't suggest the idea just because of the convenience. It wasn't about what's easier and what isn't. It was about Bryan Chase trying things with _my_ best friend.

"The _big deal_ is that it was supposed to be just the two of us, _alone! _But I see now it's going to be the two of us, plus you and Cho." She kept hitting me with her book.

After some time, it got plain funny. Anna started laughing and it wasn't long before I joined in. Madam Pince, however, was quick to come over, punish us for our volume, and kick us out for our loud behaviour. We continued laughing all the way to the corridor from the library.

"That woman needs a good laugh." Anna chuckled at what I said.

"Well, it's none of your business critiquing what other people find funny." We both laughed at Anna's matter-of-fact tone and sarcasm.

"You're right. I should keep my comments to myself."

The rest of the walk to the Ravenclaw Tower was completely silent. It grew more awkward with each step we took. It felt weird, I'll be honest. I could tell Anna felt entirely the same way. This obviously wouldn't have happened before. But this was our new friendship. Like Anna said, it only needed time.

When we arrived at the Ravenclaw Tower, Anna turned and face me. "You know, you really didn't have to walk me back here. I know this place like the back of my hand."

I chuckled at her self-confidence. "I don't doubt your intelligence, Anna. But it's late, and I don't trust this castle at night. Besides, I have Prefect duty to attend to, so I don't mind walking a late-night wanderer back to her common room."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Late-night wanderer, huh? I always knew I was the sneaky type." We both laughed. "But thanks anyway, Ced. Goodnight."

I smiled. "Goodnight, Anna." I left when I heard Anna mutter the answer to the riddle.

* * *

I returned to my dormitory at around ten o'clock, only to find that Derrick and all my other friends were still awake. It was evident that they were waiting for me.

"Well, look who decided to join us lads! Cedric Diggory himself." I chuckled and shook my head at Derrick's immaturity. Some things never change overtime.

"Very funny. You are all aware that I have Prefect duties to attend to."

"Yes, of course. How could we forget? You are, after all, The Golden Boy." This earned snickers from around the room.

"I think we should all be heading off to bed. It's getting late."

"Come on, Ced. Have some fun, mate! We just plan on talking anyway. Unless you have Cho Chang hidden underneath your bed. Then you're sure to have fun!" Everybody laughed and threw wiggly brows and suggestive looks my way.

"Really? That was the best you could come up with? If I'm going to engage in this conversation, leave my girlfriend out of it, please and thank you."

"Wish granted my friend. That means that we're free to talk about _any_ other girls besides your girlfriend. That leaves every other girl in Hogwarts!"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at their high hormonal levels. I didn't think it was possible.

The girls that entered the conversation were the usual: Pansy Parkinson (not because of her looks, but because of her tendency to cling onto Draco Malfoy), Harriet Cartwright, Astoria and Daphne Greengrass, even Hermoine Granger and Ginny Weasley. Obviously, age was but a number to these boys, considering Granger and Weasley were three years younger. I, of course, did not put any of my opinions on the listed girls. It wasn't right, in a moral sense, and because I have a girlfriend who remains faithful to me. I became tense when Anna's name came up in the conversation.

"So," Derrick smiled mischievously. "How about Adrianna Summers?" The room was suddenly filled with approving sounds and whistles.

"You know, she was always attractive, but there's something about her this year that just puts her over the top. You know what I mean?" Derrick's question was followed by many nods and verbal agreements.

"I think she's, by far, _the_ hottest girl in Hogwarts right now." I felt my insides burn at what one of my friends, Jesse, just said. _That's my best friend they're talking about!_ For some reason, I stayed quiet, but it didn't look like any of them noticed.

"It's not like we're the only ones," Derrick added. "Tons of guys are drooling over her, too." I felt like asking who those guys were, so I knew who I needed to put in place.

"I hear Marcus Flint and Roger Davies are already planning things. Ever since she came back, she's been number one on just about every guy's "list"." I shuddered when Jesse mentioned the word "list". I obviously knew what he was talking about. I felt like punching every single guy that talked about Anna that way.

"What about you, Ced?" Derrick looked my way. "You've been pretty quiet, but how's your love life with Cho? You don't talk about her much. Does she like…not put out or something?" The guys all laughed. I didn't find it at all funny. Cho was a great person. I could care less about our lack of physical intimacy.

"Just because we don't have sex every day, something that you would probably do when you get a girlfriend, doesn't make Cho less than any other girl."

"No need to get feisty there, I was just kidding. We all know you love each other…But, let's just say that if you weren't dating Cho, would you go for Adrianna Summers?" When Derrick saw that I remained quiet, he kept talking. "Come on, we're all friends here. No one's gonna tell. If you tell us that you'd bed Summers given that you and Cho weren't an item, we'd all have to agree with your choice."

_This was all wrong. _I was upset that they were making fun of my girlfriend, yes. But what brought me over the edge was hearing them talk about Anna like she was….an object. They didn't know what kind of a person she was, her great personality, her intelligence. All they say was her attractiveness. Hearing them talk about my best friend like this enraged me. I did my best to stay calm and control my angry by breathing slowly, but at this rate, I was lucky if nobody got a fist to the face.

"Don't you dare talk about my girlfriend like that. And don't you dare talk about Anna like that! She deserves more respect than that!" I wasn't shouting, but my voice was louder than usual. The guys were all taken aback by this. By just one looks at their faces, I could tell they were sorry.

"We're sorry, mate. We just get jealous sometimes of your life. Come on, don't tell us you don't notice how girls practically throw themselves at you. We forget that you're better than this." I thought about what Derrick said. Why would they be jealous?

"Why would you lads be jealous, though, in the first place?"

Jesse scoffed. "Why would we be jealous of Cedric Diggory? That's not even a question worth asking. Ced, really, you're top of the class in every subject, Head Boy, the most popular guy in school, you're nice to _everyone_, and not to sound gay, but you're good-looking! You've got the total package." Everybody nodded in agreement. I instantly felt guilty.

"I appreciate the compliments guys. But let's not go any further. It's almost eleven. I suggest we go to bed." I needed to put a stop to this before things go any more "interesting".

"Alright, Ced. Sorry again about upsetting you."

"Don't worry about it. I just got angry because…" I looked at their eager faces and knew that they wouldn't understand the situation with Anna. "…because of Cho. We really do love each other. I just got offended when you insulted our relationship."

Their faces immediately became softer and Derrick stepped forward. "We get it mate. No need to explain. It won't happen again, promise."

After saying quick 'Goodnights', we all headed off to our separate beds and turned off the lights. I told myself that I'd try to forget all the things they said about Anna. I'd try to forget the things they said about Cho. I closed my eyes, but before falling into a deep sleep, I remembered the night Anna and I had in the library. I ended up falling asleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

**Chapter Eight is up! Hope you all enjoy it! By the way, I know it may seem like things with Cedric and Anna are moving pretty fast, but I thought it would be better to NOT have them feuding 24/7 for the first ten chapters. Yes, they are friends now but that'll eventually change, of course! Please read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: First Date

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter. I only own my OC's and the plot of this fanfic.

Author's Note: I've been meaning to update sooner, but this chapter took longer than I thought! It's longer than usual, but I hope you guys enjoy it nevertheless. On with the story!

**Anna P.O.V.**

Classes that Friday seemed to whiz by. It almost felt like the day came and went. Perhaps it was because my date with Bryan was the next day. I was so excited I don't think I even slept two hours the night before. Cedric, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. It was just another ordinary date with Cho. But for me, I felt like I was on Cloud 9. Yes, I was still pissed about having to "share" Bryan with Cedric and Cho, but I promised myself that I'd try my best to avoid them, no matter how rude that may sound. Cedric and Cho are my friends, but this was _my_ date. I was still going to act like it was just Bryan and I nevertheless.

I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning. I took a quick shower and spent about half an hour trying to figure out what to wear, trying clothes on and tossing them on my bed. There was a huge pile of discarded clothes on my bed, which earned me laughs from Cho. Hey, I cared about what I looked like in front of the most gorgeous guy in school. Plus, it was my first date. Well, maybe not _the_ first, but technically, that "first date" didn't even count.

* * *

_"Come on, Anna. Don't be sad. Just because he doesn't see what I do, don't blame yourself." Cedric tried comforting me after I got rejected by the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Roger Davies. _

_Through sobs and tears, I was able to speak. "Easy for you to say, Ced. Girls claw each other's eyes out just to have you look their way. Don't tell me you don't notice."_

_He frowned but laid a hand on my back. "Look, Anna, you're a special person. If Roger Davies can't see that, he doesn't know what he's missing. So what if you don't have a date for the Hogsmeade trip this weekend?"_

_"Everybody has a date, Cedric! I don't want to be a loner." _

_"Well, I don't, so I wouldn't say _everybody_. But hey, I have an idea! Why don't we go together? You know, as friends, of course. It'd be fun and we wouldn't have to worry about acting all polite around each other." He teased and I shoved him slightly._

_"I'd love to, but if the only reason you're going with me is because you're intimidated by my appetite, then you can forget about it, Diggory." I teased back. _

_"I've dealt with it for three years now. What's one day?" I pushed him back and we both started laughing._

* * *

_The day of the Hogsmeade trip came fast. Many girls were devastated that Cedric Diggory already had a date, mostly because that date was me. I was shot glares from almost the entire female population of Hogwarts, save for Cho, for the whole week wherever I went. I could only chuckle to myself and shake my head at their level of desperation to land a guy. _

_Cedric picked me up from the Ravenclaw Tower at exactly noon. We walked, hand in hand, to Hogsmeade with the rest of the group. First, we stopped by Honeydukes to pick up some cauldron cakes and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. They were mine and Cedric's favourite snacks to munch on when we did homework or studied together. After our trip to the candy store, we went to Tomes and Scrolls. I needed to buy a new book to complete my paper on Astronomy. _

_While we were in the bookstore, I noticed Cedric looking at a particular book. He didn't put it down for some time, and I could see him smiling to himself while flipping through the pages. It was clear that he liked the book, whatever it was. To my surprise, he put the book back on the shelf. He came over to where I was standing and said, "I've already looked around, but I know you have some stuff to get. There's going to be a lot of students at The Three Broomsticks, so I'll head over there right now to reserve us a table, if that's okay with you."_

_"Yeah, sure, I'll meet you in about ten minutes." Cedric smiled at me before leaving the book shop. I walked over the shelf he was at before, and noticed the book he was looking at before sitting at the very top of the shelf. He didn't put it back properly. I normally would've chided him, but the displacement of the book helped me hatch my plan of buying it for him. It was clearly something he wanted, but he probably had an internal debate with himself of "Do I really need it?". I read the title which was "Romeo and Juliet: The Book Version". So, he's a fan of Shakespeare. I, myself, greatly admired Shakespeare's works. Cedric had some good taste! _

_I wasted no time in purchasing the book along with the other books I needed. I met Cedric at The Three Broomsticks in ten minutes, just like I told him. He already had two fresh glasses of butterbeer waiting at our table. _

_"Sorry you had to wait, Ced." I took off my coat and made sure to hide the bag with the books underneath the table. _

_"No worries, Anna. It felt like nothing, really." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. _

_"It's a good thing, though. You were right. There are a lot of people in here!" _

_"Aren't you glad you came with such a great date?" _

_I laughed. "Yes, yes I am." _

_The rest of the "date" consisted of mainly laughter. I was almost positive that everyone else in The Three Broomsticks was more than annoyed with our insane giggling and laughing. One of the best parts of our friendship was that we practically laughed at anything, whether it was pointless and stupid or not. _

_We also engaged in a friendly drinking game. We each start off with a glass full of butterbeer. Basically, we ask each other a question and if it applies to you, you take a drink. Cedric and I asked each other basic questions, some of which we already knew the answers to because of how well we know each other. Others came as interesting surprises. After about twenty minutes, we started asking each other serious questions. _

_"Have you ever cheated on a test?" Cedric asked me. I took a drink, much to his surprise. _

_"Are you serious?! Goody-two-shoes Adrianna Summers cheated on a test before?" He chuckled as he said this. I blushed slightly in embarrassment. _

_"Look Ced, it was in sixth grade and I was never good in algebra, so I cheated off of Eunice Fields, the nerd that sat next to me." Cedric was laughing so much I was scared he was going to fall off his chair. _

_I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Well, have you ever cheated on a test?" Of course he didn't take a drink. I scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah right." _

_"I'm dead serious!" Cedric raised his hands up. "I'm completely innocent, unlike some of us…" he winked and I kicked his leg from under the table. _

_"Ow! What was that for?" _

_"That was for being annoying!" I smirked triumphantly at him. He could only shake his head and laugh. _

_"Next question," I said. "Have you ever kissed anybody?" To my GREAT surprise, Cedric didn't take a drink. My jaw dropped at seeing his response. "No way! You're telling me THE Cedric Diggory hasn't had his first kiss yet?!"_

_He blushed. "Look, I'm just waiting for the right girl, alright? There's no shame in believing in a little thing called fate." _

_"Aw, I never knew you were such a man of words. And trust me Ced, there are tons of girls that are just waiting for you to be theirs. Your first kiss is gonna come before you know it." _

_"I just want the time to be right, you know? I don't want that moment to mean absolutely nothing." I looked deep into his blue-grey eyes, and I knew he meant every word he said. After what seemed to be forever of getting lost in each other's eyes, Cedric's next question brought me back to the real world. _

_"Have you ever been in love?" I furrowed my brows at him in confusion. _

_"In love? I don't think I'm old enough to even love anybody else outside of my parents and Garrett." _

_"Come on, Anna. Maybe not to the extent of love, but perhaps a crush?" I pondered this for a moment. Sure, I'd had crushes back in like fourth and fifth grade, but did I have one now? I couldn't, considering the only boy I associated with in school was Cedric. And I certainly didn't have a crush on him, right? Somewhere deep, deep down inside me, there seemed to be a fringe of doubt. _

_I still took a drink. Cedric grinned and then asked, "So, you wanna tell me who he is?" _

_I nearly choked on my drink, but caught myself in the act. "I really don't think that necessary. Plus, I'm not even sure if I consider him like that." He raised an eyebrow at me, not totally convinced with my argument. _

_"You'll tell me who this guy is eventually though, right?" _

_I bit my lip before nodding. "Of course, Ced." We sat in silence, but after some time, I asked him a question that didn't require taking a drink or not. "What are your thoughts on love?" _

_He looked up at me and our eyes locked again, but he looked back down. He focussed hard on the table for a long time before looking up at me again. He sighed heavily before answering. "I think it's both the best and the worst thing that can ever happen to a person. The best because it brings out the realness in people, their true selves. But the worst because it can make a person weak. Love can make a person do things they would normally never do."_

_I laughed. "So what you're saying is that love is a good thing because it lets people be themselves, but it's a bad thing because it causes people to not be themselves?" _

_"Well, yes and no." _

_"Stop trying to be a smart-ass and just tell me what you really think." He smiled at me. _

_"That is what I really think, though, Anna. I guess I just worded it wrong. Here: I think love's a great thing, but I guess the underlying danger of loving is not being loved back." _

_I tilted my head a bit. "But, if the only reason you love is to be loved back, then it's really not loving at all." _

_"Well sometimes, you're in love with somebody, but they don't love you back. It's still loving, but you're vulnerable. You're vulnerable to rejection." _

_"Sounds like someone's in love." I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled slyly. "Why didn't I see this before? Of course you're in love! That's why you're so into this conversation! It's because it applies to you!"_

_Cedric turned red and I knew I had him. "What? Are…are you serious? Me…in love? That's…that's just crazy, Anna."_

_"Okay then, fine, don't tell me her name." _

_"I'm obviously not going to tell you her name…" Cedric's hand immediately shot up to cover his mouth and I started laughing like a maniac._

_"Ha! You just admitted it. I knew it!" I exclaimed and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. _

_"Don't worry though, Cedric. You don't have to tell me who she is. But whoever she is, I doubt she isn't head over heels for you. Ced, EVERY girl at Hogwarts is in love with you!"_

_"Not EVERY girl, Anna." He then muttered something under his breath, but I chose to ignore it. We had already gone through two glasses of butterbeer, and decided to put the game to rest. It was only half past one. We chose to spend the rest of the time talking, or rather sitting in silence. After our little love-struck conversation, the atmosphere became pretty awkward. I spoke up after a while, but something about Cedric being in love with a girl stirred something inside me. "What's she like, Ced?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"The girl you're in love with. What's she like?"_

_"Where do I start? Well, she's got a great personality. She's funny, super intelligent, caring, compassionate, and always puts others before herself. She's also beautiful, very beautiful. I feel like I could spend hours just looking into her eyes. Sometimes, I feel like the two of us have conversations with just our eyes, like the world around us doesn't exist. I probably sound like a fool right now…" _

_"No, I think it's…beautiful. I've never heard you talk like this before. But if this girl, whoever she is, can get you to act this tame and shy, perhaps I should start hanging out with her." I teased and he chuckled. _

_"Anna, Anna, Anna, you'll never learn, will you?" _

_"Perhaps not." I smiled widely at him and he gladly returned it. _

_We stayed at The Three Broomsticks for another half hour or so before heading back to the castle. The walk back was mostly silent. Both of us were still thinking about the conversation we had that afternoon. I was deep in thought about it, and I could tell just by looking at Cedric's face that he, too, was thinking deeply about it. _

_He walked me back to the Ravenclaw Tower. He said that it was "part of the date". When we got to the entrance, I stopped to face him. "Cedric, I really had a great time. Thank you so much. You truly are my best friend." I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. It didn't take long for his arms to engulf me in their usual tight embrace. We stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity. He pulled away, yet there was a part of me that wanted his touch to linger for a little longer. I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. _

_"Don't even say that Anna. It was my pleasure. I had a great time, as well." It was then that a piece of my hair had gotten loose from the plait it was in. Cedric noticed and tucked it gently behind my ear. I looked up and saw how close we were. I don't know what came over me, but I began to lean in. I saw that Cedric did, too. Our noses were touching and his lips were about to brush mine when I heard a loud BANG. I jumped back and so did Cedric. I looked down to see the bag of books from Tomes and Scrolls on the stone floor of the castle. Thankfully, none of the books fell out so he couldn't get a sneak-peek at the "Romeo and Juliet" book. I bent down to pick up the bag. When I got up, I noticed Cedric staring at me. As soon as I started looking at him, his gaze averted quickly to the floor. We've never felt this awkward around each other before! After an eternity of silence and trying to avoid each other's gaze, I cleared my throat and Cedric's eyes snapped back to me. "Well, I should go inside now. Lots of homework to do. I'll um, see you later, Cedric." I stuttered, something I normally never do in front of anyone._

_He didn't respond, but instead just watched me enter the common room after saying the answer to the riddle I was given. I found it ironic how the answer to the riddle I was given was a kiss. Ha ha, very funny. _

I am just two and two  
I am warm, I am cold  
I am lawful, unlawful  
A duty, A fault  
I am often sold dear  
Good for nothing when bought  
An extraordinary boon  
And a matter of course  
and yielding with pleasure  
When taken by force.

_I felt like dying right then and there. I couldn't even look back at Cedric because of how embarrassed I was. It was completely inappropriate of me to even think, let alone try, kissing him. He was my best friend. That's it…right? _

_I couldn't sleep that night. I didn't even go to dinner because I couldn't face Cedric, not after my act of stupidity. I tossed and turned all through the night, just thinking about the day we spent together, but most of all, the almost-kiss. I scolded myself over and over again. He probably thinks I fancy him now…but the thing that puzzled me the most was the fact that he, too, was leaning in to kiss me. What the hell was that about? Was he just trying to be a good friend and "play along"? Or was there more to it? No, it couldn't be. He only thought of me as a friend. Even if he _did_ like me in that way, I wouldn't care. It's not like I thought of him like that. I debated this for a while. I thought about Cedric, his ups and his downs. But, come to think of it, he didn't really have any downs. He was smart, kind, athletic, funny, not to mention handsome…it took me a while to admit what I think I've known for some time now: I was in love with my best friend. _

* * *

I laughed to myself as I remembered my momentary crush on Cedric. _Things have definitely changed, _I thought. I spent another ten minutes or so trying clothes on. Finally, I decided on an outfit that perfectly suited the cool, autumn weather: a white denim skirt that ended mid-thigh, a purple lace tank top, an olive green jacket, and brown leather boots that stopped just before the knee.

I dried my hair and chose to curl it. My hair was long enough that even when it was curled, it still reached below my chest. I had to look my best in front of Bryan. Once I finished using the curling charm, I started putting on makeup. I opted for a shiny, pink lip gloss, and used black eye-liner and mascara for my eyes. I stood in front of the mirror and was very satisfied with what I saw. Cho, who was too hungry to wait, returned from breakfast and saw me instantly.

"Merlin, Anna! You look beautiful! Wait till Bryan sees you!" she squealed.

"You really think so? I can't wait for the date!"

"It'll be fun! Just pretend like Cedric and I aren't even there." She winked.

"I'll try. But first, I should probably clean up a little bit…" I motioned to my bed and the floor, which were scattered with piles of clothes. Cho laughed.

"I agree. Just be quick because it's already ten to eleven."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to be late, especially when _he's_ waiting for me." Cho and I giggled together in excitement. I spent the ten minutes cleaning the room like my life depended on it.

At exactly eleven o'clock, Cho and I went downstairs to the common and exited through the portrait. We saw both Cedric and Bryan patiently waiting. I smiled at the both of them, and Bryan was quick to greet me.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Anna." He kissed my cheek. It sent shivers down my spine. It was a good thing I chose to wear a jacket. "I can't wait for today." He smiled that gorgeous smile of his.

I blushed. "Same here, and thank you."

"Shall we?" He asked, holding out his hand.

I laughed at his charm. "Yes, we shall." I gladly took his hand and left it there until we got to Hogsmeade.

The whole journey there, I couldn't even tell Cho and Cedric were with us. Either they were really quiet or I was just really into whatever I was talking about with Bryan. Correction, I was just really into Bryan. He was such a great conversationalist; he told jokes, asked me my opinions, brought up unique topics, and always kept me interested. Not once did I turn around to look at Cho or Cedric, who were walking behind me and Bryan. _Looks like everything is going according to plan, _I thought.

We stopped by Honeydukes for a little bit to pick up some sweets. Afterwards, we headed to Tomes and Scrolls because Bryan said he needed to buy a new book to finish his Charms essay. Icould see how annoyed Cedric was, but Cho reassured him that it was alright after seeing the look in his eyes.

We didn't stay at the book shop long, though I noticed Cedric looking at book while I waited for Bryan to purchase his book. I walked over to where Cedric and Cho were standing.

As I neared them, Cedric looked up and smiled. "Remember this?" He held out a copy of "Romeo and Juliet". Instantly, I smiled widely at him.

"How could I forget?" I smiled genuinely at him. We both knew the memories behind that book. It made me wonder if he even still had it. It made me wonder if he kept the card I wrote him, the card that took me hours to write. I was about to ask him, but seeing Cho standing there made me feel guilty about not including her in our conversation.

"What's so special about this book though?" Cho asked sweetly. I mentally contemplated whether or not I should tell her. Yes, she is Cedric's girlfriend, and I gave it to him years ago, but the book was something important to the two of us. It was one of those things that deserved to stay "a secret". It was a reminder of our friendship.

After agreeing to explain the story to Cho, I opened my mouth but Bryan's arrival interrupted. "Hey, sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I really appreciate it." Cedric rolled his eyes but offered a smirk. Cho smiled sweetly, as per usual. Bryan wrapped an arm around me, and I couldn't be mad at him.

"Don't even apologize. I would've done the same for you." I don't know what came over me, but I placed a kiss on his left cheek. I left my lips there for a couple seconds before pulling away. When I did, he looked stunned but then smiled. I tried to avoid the look Cedric was giving him. Cho, on the other hand, looked happy for me. Before Bryan and I could go any further, Cedric spoke up.

"How about we go to the Three Broomsticks? I could really have myself a butterbeer right now. What about you guys?"

"Sounds good!" Bryan exclaimed. He took my hand gently. "I'm sure Anna, here, would love one as well."  
I giggled and blushed. "I would."

"Great then. Let's go before the place gets too busy." Cedric was quick to cut me off.

We walked to The Three Broomsticks and got a table. I sat next to Cedric and across from Bryan, and Cho across from Cedric. It was Bryan that chose the seating arrangement. But by the look on Cedric's face, he didn't look too annoyed. Perhaps it was because it was more romantic to sit across from your date. Or maybe it was because he was happy that he got to sit next to a good friend. Either of the two seemed to work fine. After we ordered our drinks, the table got pretty quiet. It wasn't that there wasn't anything to talk about. It's just that I felt there were things I couldn't say in front of Bryan with Cho and Cedric, and vice versa. I thought about this for a bit, and realized that in fact, there were things I could only say in front of Cedric. Things that Cho and Bryan probably wouldn't understand. This was why I hated double dates. They were so…awkward.

After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, Bryan finally spoke up. "So, Anna, how's life?" Really? You're gorgeous, athletic, and I presume decent in the classroom, but the only question you can think of is "How's life?"

"It's okay, I guess. I dunno, how's yours?" Cedric saw how I was stumbling for words, and laughed at my hopelessness. Pretty soon, the two of us started engaging in a full-out laughing session. It was the usual whenever we would hang out. It got to the point where we weren't only laughing at me, but at Bryan, too. This surprised me a lot, but I kept going with it.

Cho and Bryan looked at us like we were maniacs, complete zoo animals. Cho kept looking around to see if anybody else was agitated by our insane laughter, and Bryan looked almost disgusted with me, as if he expected me to be better-behaved. First of all, Cedric and I never cared about what we looked or sounded like when we're together in public. Secondly, me? Well-behaved? Yeah, right. Everybody knows that Cedric's the well-behaved, polite one.

After a very long time of laughing, and even crying for me, Cedric and I settled down. I thought I even heard Bryan release a sigh of relief. I also heard him mutter something under his breath. This caught my attention. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I tried to sound innocent, but I'm positive I still had an edge to my voice.

"Oh nothing, don't worry about it, Anna." Bryan tried to reassure me, and covered my hand with his across the table. I gently pulled away.

"No, tell me. If it's stupid, then I'm sure you can spare telling me, right?" I asked sweetly. Cedric snorted next to me, laughing at Bryan's airiness.

"It's just that yours and Cedric's laughing was a little bit more than outrageous. If you guys didn't stop, we would've gotten kicked out for sure. I'm not trying to be an arse, I'm just saying that, well, Anna, I expected you to be more classy than that." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was completely fooled by this bloke! I thought he was perfect?! Merlin, he was far from it! And when I turned to look at Cedric, we seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.

"You don't think I'm classy enough for you?" I did my best to control my anger.

"Anna, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you should be more reserved than that. I mean, I've seen you at meals…you're a complete pig! Someone with a face like yours should consider revising their eating habits." Cedric's jaw literally dropped. Cho's mouth opened in shock. Yes, I was more than surprised that this came out of the mouth of who I thought was my Prince Charming. But I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he made me feel like shit. So, instead, I smiled.

"Thank you Bryan, for that…helpful piece of advice. But, since you felt that helping me was necessary, do you think it's alright if I give you some help, too?" I smiled so sweetly and even touched his hand. What really got him was when I started rubbing his leg from under the table with mine. I could see Cedric out of the corner of my eye, who looked more than confused. Cho looked confused, as well.

Bryan blushed at my somewhat sensual behaviour, but he regained his composure. "Sure, anything for you, babe." I fumed inwardly. I hated being called "babe". It made me feel like an object, like I wasn't even a person. I was about to retort when I reminded myself of my plan.

"Well, _I_ think…" I leaned a little closer to him.

"Yes…" he leaned closer, too, smiling suggestively.

"That you're a total asshole!" I shouted in his face. He jumped back at my sudden outburst, shock evident on his face. "You decide to ask me out on a date, and you know I'm obviously going to say yes, which unfortunately, I did. Then, you have the nerve to insult me on our 'date'? I don't think so! Who do you think you are?! Honestly! You think you're the hottest guy in school, which I was stupid enough to think you were! You think you can get any girl. And now, I feel so stupid, so, so stupid, because I am just another one of those girls! I mean, do you even like me?"

Bryan still looked shocked from my shouting and yelling, and reddened visibly. Somehow, he found his voice, but surprisingly, his voice came out pretty loud. "I don't know, Anna. I really don't. I just wanted to see how things would go on this date. But it's clear that things didn't go as anticipated." It didn't take a Hermoine Granger to detect the sarcasm in his voice. Wait a second, _he_ was angry with _me?_ What the hell did I even do?! I didn't dare look at Cedric who was probably just as angry with Bryan as me. Cho looked frightened because of the raised voices. It was typical of her to get freaked out because of something like this.

"Don't you go blaming this shit on me! It's your fault your pompous ass had to go insulting me, telling me not to be myself just because _you're_ with me. I have enough respect for myself and enough dignity to not put up with somebody who doesn't even care about me. I need a genuine person. I need somebody who will love me more than he loves looking in the mirror. "

"You're something else, you know that? You go around Hogwarts winking at boys and flirting aimlessly. Don't even talk about 'a genuine person'. You wouldn't know what a genuine person was if they slapped you right in the face!" He laughed cockily. "You're just what everyone else says you are. You're a slut." Now I felt the fire burning inside of me. I felt like flipping over the table completely. However, it wouldn't have made much of a difference, considering that there wasn't anything on it.

Before I could even do anything, the waiter came by with our butterbeers. _Great timing. _I stood up a grabbed one of the glasses off of the waiter's tray. I chugged the butterbeer, every last bit of it. I slammed the empty mug down on the table, hard. Cedric jumped back and Cho flinched. Cho looked somewhat mortified, but Cedric looked to be enjoying himself. He was chuckling. I could tell he was happy I finally came to my senses about Bryan Chase. Bryan himself looked startled, and paled. I then took another glass of butterbeer from the waiter's tray, smiled right at Bryan, and then dumped the whole thing on him. He stood up immediately, even as I continued to pour the drink on him. I smiled widely at him, making sure it was a real pearly one. Some people who were watching clapped, some howled and 'oooh'ed, others just laughed. What made things all the more amusing was that, to end my little show, I kissed him full on the lips. I smiled throughout the entire five-second long kiss, satisfied with the work I did. When I broke free, I turned on my heel and headed for the door. Before leaving though, I turned around and smirked at Bryan. "By the way, it's Adrianna. You don't deserve to call me Anna." With that, I left.

Words cannot describe how I felt right then and there. Really, I didn't know how I felt. One thing was for sure, I felt more than content about showing up Bryan Chase. I mean, I was probably the first girl that actually did something about his rude behaviour. I should get points for that. But, deep down, I felt played. I felt cheap and desperate. I knew the reputation Bryan had before I even talked to him. I knew how he went through girls, and yet, I _still_ agreed to go out with him. Let's face it. Bryan probably didn't like me for me. I felt stupid for being so desperate to be wanted. That's just it: I wanted to be wanted. And Bryan Chase asking me out was my way of fulfilling my desire. I kicked a rock in frustration as I kept walking. _I spent half an hour picking out an outfit for you. I took the time to curl my hair. I took ten minutes putting on makeup for you. Hell, I cleaned my room because of you! _I kept internally slapping myself. My dad was right…I should've just stayed away from the boys.

I saw a huge, bare rock overlooking the castle. I decided to sit down for a while. It was only noon. My date hadn't even lasted a good hour. I reached into my bag and pulled out my poetry book. It was times like these when this book came in handy. I just barely opened it when I heard footsteps from behind me. When I turned around quickly, I found the one boy I wouldn't be able to stay away from. Our eyes locked for a second before I turned my back on him.

"Did you come to gloat? To say 'I told you so'? Which by the way you did…" I looked down shamefully. Cedric took a seat on the other rock next to me.

"No, I didn't come to gloat. But I can if you like." He smiled, trying to cheer me up. I smiled slightly, still sad.

"Go ahead. I don't care anymore. I mean, it's not like _he _cared, so why should I." I could feel my eyes start to water.

Cedric frowned. "Anna, it's not your fault. He's a jerk, that's what he is. So what if he didn't care? I mean, really Anna, did _you_ even care about him?"

Cedric had a point. I didn't care about Bryan. I just cared about feeling wanted. "No…" I said looking down. Cedric was always right. I let a few tears fall.

"You're better than him, Anna. Don't feel like you're not good enough because let me tell you, you're more than good enough." I looked up at him through wet eyes.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I mean that. You're an amazing person, Anna. And one day," he leaned forward and wiped a few of the fallen tears off my face with his thumb, "you're going to find that one person who will love you for you are, who will accept you, cherish you, and want to spend every minute of their life with you." He paused, trying to find the right words to say, words that would make me feel better. "Jerks like him don't come close to deserving girls like you."

I stopped crying and listened to what my best friend said. This was why Cedric was my best friend, even after all we've been through together. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and he was quick to return the embrace. I whispered softly to him. "Thank you, Ced, for you know…being you." We stayed like that for a long time before breaking apart. When he did, he was smiling.

"Anytime, Anna." It was right then that I realized something.

"Wait, where's Cho?" I had completely forgotten all about her up until then.

"Oh, don't worry. Bryan left shortly after you did to get cleaned up and what not. And I was ready to leave, too. Cho saw how eager I was to get out and told me to go find you. She said she'd be able to make it back by herself."

I laughed. "So you decided to leave your girlfriend to wander through Hogsmeade alone just because you wanted to find me?"

"I'm pretty sure she's capable. And plus, you're my best friend. After what just happened, I couldn't trust you on your own." He smirked.

"Oh please. If anything it's the other way around." I joked and we both laughed. After catching our breaths, I thought about something I've been wanting to ask Cedric, something I knew he couldn't refuse.

"Would you like me to read you some poetry?"

His head moved up slowly, and when it did, I saw the big smile on his face. Me asking him this was more than just a question out of pure friendliness. It was a chance to relive a good part of our past together. It was something the two of us held dear, though many other people wouldn't understand.

"How could I say no?" Cedric smiled at me.

"Which one do you want?"

"I think you know the answer to that one." I smiled back at him. Taking my poetry book, I flipped to the one poem I held close to my heart. I took a deep breath before beginning.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference."

I read slowly, with expression, making sure to pronounce every word with absolute clarity. I closed my eyes and smiled when I finished reading the poem, dissecting every beautiful word. When I opened my eyes, I saw Cedric's blue-grey eyes looking right into mine, kind and gentle. I closed the book, and put it back in my bag. "Anna?" I looked back up at Cedric.

"Yes?"

"You never told me why that poem always meant so much to you."

I looked down sadly, remembering the reason behind its importance. I'd have to tell Cedric eventually, especially because he was part of it. I gathered my thoughts for a moment, and took a deep breath before beginning.

"I loved the poem from the minute I first read it. It sparked great interest in me. When I used to read it to you in our favourite spot, there really was no significance behind it. I just liked it. But after I left in fourth year, things changed. Garrett died, as I told you before. You know how close we were, that doesn't need explaining. But on the day of his funeral, that poem became more than just a poem. It became a goal I had to achieve. I wouldn't let what happened between you and I stop me from living my life. So, I vowed to do everything I could to change myself. I guess you could say that poem was Garrett's way of telling me to keep going, to never give up."

After I finished speaking, Cedric's eyes were still on me. I could tell he was deep in thought, trying to find his way through my answer. We sat in silence for some time. It was a while before he spoke up. But when he did, it was barely audible. "I'm sorry, Anna."

"Pardon me? I didn't hear what you said."

"I said I'm sorry, I truly am. I'm sorry for everything I did." He looked down, ashamed.

I frowned and scooted closer to him. "What's done is done, we can't change what happened. But we can move on." I smiled at him, knowing it would cheer him up.

"You're right." He smiled back.

We enjoyed each other's company as we sat together for another hour. The time was filled with mainly laughter, but also some conversation and poetry-reading, of course. After a while, we decided it was time to head back to the castle. The walk was pretty quiet, as we strolled in a friendly silence. Cedric walked me back to the Ravenclaw Tower. I stood across from him when we reached the entrance, and suddenly, things got a little awkward. I could tell by Cedric's face which mirrored mine. _We almost kissed the last time this happened. _

I cleared my throat to avoid any more unwanted awkwardness. "Thanks for being there for me today, Ced. It really means a lot." I smiled sweetly at him.

"Anything for you, Anna." He returned the smile and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back, happy that things finally cleared up between me and my best friend.

When we broke apart, Cedric asked, "You never did tell me who it was that you had a crush on back in third year." He raised his eyebrows knowingly, a silly smiled plastered on his face.

"Well I guess you'll never know." I flashed him a toothy grin, turned around, and headed for the door. But Cedric's hand around my wrist stopped me.

"Don't be like that, Anna. Come on, just tell me. I mean, it was four years ago! I'm pretty sure we've both matured since then."

I crossed my arms over my chest and smirked at him. "If you're so eager, then why don't you tell me the name of the girl you were in love with." His face reddened instantly. It was obvious he thought I didn't remember. _Yeah right! I remember everything, especially when it comes to you, Ced. _

"No way! I'm not telling you unless you tell me."

I began laughing. "We're so immature. We don't even have the guts to tell each other about our loves from four years ago!"

He began laughing, as well. "Why don't we keep it a secret?"

"It _has_ been a secret for the past four years!" I chuckled.

"Well then why don't we continue to keep it a secret? It's clear that both of us are too stubborn to tell the other person, so why don't we agree to tell each other…say, by Christmas Eve?" He stretched out his hand. I considered this proposal._ If I told Cedric about my crush on him back in third year, would it make things awkward? We just got back to being friends, but could this only make things worse_? Of course, being the impulsive person I am, I shook his hand with one of mine. I'd probably feel horrible about this decision within the next few months, but I couldn't take back my word now. I wasn't a coward.

"Deal," I said, with a smirk on my face.  
"Great," he let go of my hand and smiled, his blue-grey eyes kind as always. "I guess I should let you go now. I'll see you tonight at dinner. Oh, and don't be too upset over Bryan. Remember what I told you."

"Of course. Thanks again, Cedric." I flashed him a pearly smile of my own before answering the riddle, and entering the common room.

* * *

**There's Chapter 9! Just a heads up, I'll be introducing the Triwizard Tournament within the next few chapters, so look out for that. I feel that it's about time. Please read and review my lovelies! **


	10. Author's Note

***IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!***

**I'm sorry to all of you who were hoping this was another chapter, but I can assure you, Chapter Ten is on its way! **

**As I've mentioned before, I'm going to be introducing the Tri-Wizard Tournament soon. By soon, I mean within the next three chapters. However, I'm having a bit of trouble deciding which path I'm going to take. As we all know, in the movie, our dear friend Cedric dies. I'm debating whether or not to keep him alive or, you know, kill him off. It'd REALLY help me plan out the plot of this fanfiction better if I chose the fate of Cedric now. **

**So, I leave this choice up to you my wonderful readers: Should I keep Cedric Diggory alive or not? Feel free to PM me any time or post it in a review. Either way works! Thank you for being great as always! Look out for mentioned shout-outs at the beginnings of upcoming chapters for those of you who gave me your input. So long for now my lovelies! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: I Always Keep My Promises

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to the Harry Potter series. I only own my OCs and the plot of this fanfic.

Author's Note: Thank you SO much to all of you that gave me input in regards to the fate of Cedric. I really appreciate it! I'll be sure to make shout-outs to those of you that responded over the next few chapters. Please keep giving me your opinions about Cedric's fate through either reviews or private messages. It'd help a lot! On with the chapter!

**Cedric P.O.V.**

Friday that week felt like it would never end. Potions seemed to drag on longer than usual, even with Anna and Cho sitting next to me. Every class after bored me to death and it was as if time became ten times slower. Don't ask me why because I'm not sure I'd have an answer. Perhaps it was because it was just another date with Cho. What is this, like the hundredth one already? But for Anna, it was her first date with Bryan. Actually, make that just "first date". I wouldn't exactly classify the day we hung out together on another trip to Hogsmeade in third year a "date", although I do remember agreeing to go as friends. But isn't that what we always did? Go as "friends"?

I remember that day like the back of my hand. It was great being alone with Anna. Sometimes, other things get in the way of our time together—homework, tests, more homework, and on occasion, Cho. Before we started dating, her and Anna were almost inseparable, and, if I might say so, I got jealous at times. But like all things in life, everything would go back to normal and Anna would reassure me that _I_ was her best friend. Clearly, my feelings towards Cho have changed over the years.

I remember that day with Anna not just because it was fun, or because we laughed our asses off at the Three Broomsticks as per usual, or even because it was the day she bought the "Romeo and Juliet" book for me. No, it wasn't any of those reasons. The real reason why that day never ceases to leave my memory is because it was the time when I finally admitted it to myself. _I was in love with Anna. _

It took me three years to realize how I truly felt about her. She was still my best friend, but she became something more. She was what kept me going whenever I was down, the shoulder I could lean on, the one person I could count on for anything and everything. Anna was my rock. I needed her in my life, and without her, Merlin knows what I would've done.

* * *

_"Have you ever cheated on a test?" I asked her. She took a drink. I couldn't believe my eyes!_

_"Are you serious?! Goody-two-shoes Adrianna Summers cheated on a test before?" I laughed in disbelief. Anna could only blush._

_"Look Ced, it was in sixth grade and I was never good in algebra, so I cheated off of Eunice Fields, the nerd that sat next to me." I laughed even harder at her protest. Hearing that one of the smartest girls in Hogwarts cheated on a test before was something to be considered hysterical. It just didn't happen._

_Anna crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, have you ever cheated on a test?" I didn't take a drink because, truth is, I never did cheat on a test. She scoffed, not believing any bit of it. _

_"Yeah right." _

_"I'm dead serious!" I held my hands up in surrender. "I'm completely innocent, unlike some of us…" I winked, which only earned me a hard kick from Anna under the table. _

_"Ow! What was that for?" _

_"That was for being annoying!" She stuck her nose up high in the air triumphantly, proud of the abuse she did. I shook my head and laughed at her level of animosity. _

_"Next question," she continued. "Have you ever kissed anybody?" I was slightly embarrassed by her question. I didn't take a drink because my first kiss hasn't come just yet. After seeing my response, Anna's jaw dropped. _

_"No way! You're telling me THE Cedric Diggory hasn't had his first kiss yet?!"She practically yelled. I was about to hush her, but she was too stubborn for that kind of child-like scolding._

_I blushed. "Look, I'm just waiting for the right girl, alright? There's no shame in believing in a little thing called fate." It's true. I believe in 'fate' and 'destiny', no matter how cheesy and completely cliché that may be. Things happen for a reason, and I just happened to believe that there was a reason I haven't found the right girl yet. But something inside me told me I already had…_

_"Aw, I never knew you were such a man of words. And trust me Ced, there are tons of girls that are just waiting for you to be theirs. Your first kiss is gonna come before you know it." _

_"I just want the time to be right, you know? I don't want that moment to mean absolutely nothing." I know tons of people that didn't treasure every moment of their first kiss. It was as if it was just another ordinary moment of their life. I couldn't have regrets about it. _

_Anna stayed quiet, thinking about what I said. We looked into each other's eyes for a long time. Those beautiful, green eyes crashed with my blue-grey ones, and neither of us snapped out of it for a long time. It was like we were talking in our own little, secluded world where only the two of us existed. For some strange reason, I felt a warm feeling inside. What was this? I've never felt nervous around Anna before. I ignored the tingling sensations in the palms of my hands. _

_I couldn't stand it anymore, so I decided to ask another question. It seemed to break us both out of our trances. "Have you ever been in love?" It was the only question I could think of. I know it was stupid, but I couldn't stay in the limbo state I was in forever. Merlin knows what would've happened. _

_Anna seemed more than confused at my question. She furrowed her eyebrows. "In love? I don't think I'm old enough to even love anybody else outside of my parents and Garrett." _

_"Come on, Anna. Maybe not to the extent of love, but perhaps a crush?" I have no clue why I was so interested in Anna's love life. There just seemed to be something about her liking a boy that nerved me a little. Wait…was this jealousy? Why would I be jealous? It's not like _I _like Anna…right? _

_Anna thought about my question for some time before taking a drink. I wanted to interrogate her for the rest of the time, asking who the hell this bloke was. But I knew that wouldn't be right. So I did my best to fake a grin. "So, you wanna tell me who he is?" _

_She practically choked on her sip of butterbeer. "I really don't think that necessary. Plus, I'm not even sure if I consider him like that." I wasn't the least bit convinced. Of course she liked this guy. She's never talked to me about him before, which made me somewhat sad. But it also made me kind of angry knowing that her heart longed for someone else…someone who wasn't me. _

_"You'll tell me who this guy is eventually though, right?" _

_ She bit her lip before nodding. "Of course, Ced." We sat in silence, but after some time, she asked a question. "What are your thoughts on love?"_

_ I didn't know how to respond to her question, mostly because I was mentally debating with myself on who _I _even liked. The only girl I really spend time with is Anna. And I certainly didn't like her. Or did I? I don't even know! I mean sure, she's intelligent, athletic, funny, caring, not to mention beautiful. She's Anna. She's my Anna. Since when did I start thinking of her as mine? Why does it bother me that she likes someone else? Merlin, it's because _I'm_ in love with her._

_I looked up after a long time of fighting with myself internally and staring at the wooden table. I met Anna's immaculate green eyes. "I think it's both the best and the worst thing that can ever happen to a person. The best because it brings out the realness in people, their true selves. But the worst because it can make a person weak. Love can make a person do things they would normally never do." It's true. I just had a full-out war with my conscience because of my heart being bipolar. One minute, she's my best friend. And the next, I want her to be mine. _

_To my surprise, she laughed. "So what you're saying is that love is a good thing because it lets people be themselves, but it's a bad thing because it causes people to not be themselves?" _

_"Well, yes and no." _

_"Stop trying to be a smart-ass and just tell me what you really think." I smiled. She was always so honest. _

_"That is what I really think, though, Anna. I guess I just worded it wrong. Here: I think love's a great thing, but I guess the underlying danger of loving is not being loved back." _

_She tilted her head a bit in confusion. "But, if the only reason you love is to be loved back, then it's really not loving at all." _

_"Well sometimes, you're in love with somebody, but they don't love you back. It's still loving, but you're vulnerable. You're vulnerable to rejection." Basically, what I'm saying is that _I'm _vulnerable to rejection as we speak. It's obvious that she doesn't feel the same way, and it's more than difficult to accept that. I wish I never came to the conclusion of how I felt about her. _

_"Sounds like someone's in love." She said in a sing-song voice and smiled slyly. "Why didn't I see this before? Of course you're in love! That's why you're so into this conversation! It's because it applies to you!"_

_I turned red, knowing I've been caught. "What? Are…are you serious? Me…in love? That's…that's just crazy, Anna." Why did I have to stutter? It was an obvious giveaway! _

_"Okay then, fine, don't tell me her name." _

_"I'm obviously not going to tell you her name…" My hand immediately shot up to cover my mouth after realizing what I just said. Cedric, you idiot! Anna, being the smart person she is, began laughing hysterically, seeing as though I just admitted there was a girl I was in love with. The only thing she didn't know what that that girl just happened to be her. _

_"Ha! You just admitted it. I knew it!" she exclaimed proudly. I could only run a hand through my hair in frustration. Frustration because she found out my secret, but also frustration because she didn't feel the same way. She didn't have to tell me or downright admit it for me to sense that the feeling wasn't mutual._

_"Don't worry though, Cedric. You don't have to tell me who she is. But whoever she is, I doubt she isn't head over heels for you. Ced, EVERY girl at Hogwarts is in love with you!"_

_"Not EVERY girl, Anna." I then muttered, 'Not you at least' under my breath, but thankfully, she didn't catch it. Perhaps she heard something come out of my mouth, but either way, she brushed it off. _

_We had already gone through two glasses of butterbeer, and decided to call it quits on the game. It was only half past one. We spent the rest of our time sitting quietly, not speaking to each other. After our conversation, things got pretty awkward, mostly because 'Love' was a topic we never talked about. It made me wonder why she was so interested in my thoughts on it. Though I was looking down at my hands, I could see Anna deep in thought from across the table. Her next question snapped me out of my thoughts. _

_"What's she like, Ced?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"The girl you're in love with. What's she like?"_

_Describe her was really all I had to do. "Where do I start? Well, she's got a great personality. She's funny, super intelligent, caring, compassionate, and always puts others before herself. She's also beautiful, very beautiful. I feel like I could spend hours just looking into her eyes. Sometimes, I feel like the two of us have conversations with just our eyes, like the world around us doesn't exist. I probably sound like a fool right now…" A love-struck fool at that. I never spoke this way to anyone before. Well, I've never been put in a situation where I had to tell my best friend about the girl I was in love with when that girl was actually her. _

_"No, I think it's…beautiful. I've never heard you talk like this before. But if this girl, whoever she is, can get you to act this tame and shy, perhaps I should start hanging out with her." She joked and I chuckled. Anna always knew the right cards to play. Her cute sense of humour was like music to my ears. _

_"Anna, Anna, Anna, you'll never learn, will you?" _

_"Perhaps not," she smiled widely, and I couldn't help but do the same. _

_We stayed at The Three Broomsticks for another half hour or so before returning to the castle. The walk back was dead silent. Really, the only sound I could hear was the sound of our footsteps on the ground. It was obvious that both of us were still thinking about the conversation we had that afternoon. I was in deep thought about it, every bit of it. I confessed everything I felt about 'Love', not to mention the fact that I admitted I was guilty of being in love with someone. Anna admitted she had a crush on somebody, and it irked me to no end to try and figure out who this bloke was. It bothered me to think that she was in love with someone who wasn't me. I scolded myself over and over again for having to realize how I genuinely felt about Anna. I'd be in love with her, but all she'd ever see me as is Cedric Diggory, her best friend, nothing more and nothing less. _

_I walked me back to the Ravenclaw Tower. I told her that it was "part of the date", which in my opinion it was. When we got to the entrance, she turned around and faced me. "Cedric, I really had a great time. Thank you so much. You truly are my best friend." 'Best friend'. I've come to really loathe those words, knowing that that's all I would ever be to her. She wrapped her arms around me and I didn't hesitate in returning the embrace. I found myself getting lost in her scent, vanilla and strawberries. We stayed like this for a long time. No matter how much I didn't want to, I pulled away. I couldn't have her getting any thoughts, especially ones about me. I couldn't have her thinking I fancied her, which I did. Though I think the word 'fancy' is a bit of an understatement. The way I felt about Anna was much more than that. _

_"Don't even say that Anna. It was my pleasure. I had a great time, as well." It was then that a piece of her hair had gotten loose from the plait it was in. I stepped closer to her and tucked it gently behind her ear. She looked up, but when she did, she looked somewhat embarrassed. I realized how close we were. I felt my palms get sweaty when she began to lean in. Merlin, she wanted to kiss me! I gave in to the sensations running through my body and leaned in, too. This was _the_ moment. Our noses were touching and my lips were about to brush hers when I heard a loud BANG. We both jumped back after hearing the sudden noise. We looked down to see the bag of books from Tomes and Scrolls on the floor. Anna bent down to pick up the bag. I watched her all the while. When she got back up, our eyes locked. My gaze lingered on hers for a bit longer before I looked to the floor quickly, suddenly becoming very interested in the stone work. Things got very awkward very fast. We've never been in this kind of situation with each other before. _

_After an eternity of silence, my eyes snapped back to look at Anna who had just cleared her throat. "Well, I should go inside now. Lots of homework to do. I'll um, see you later, Cedric." I could tell she felt just as awkward as I did. She never stuttered, ever, in front of anyone. _

_I was at a loss for words, speechless. I didn't know what to say and it was obvious she struggled, too. I could only watch her enter the common room after answering the riddle. It's kind of funny how the answer to the riddle was a kiss. _

_I stood in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower for a while before leaving, dissecting every bit of what just happened. We almost kissed. Sure, things were going to be awkward between us for some time, but eventually, they'd clear up like they always do. Moreover, I didn't know how I felt about it all. I mean, I just almost kissed the girl I was in love with. I should be feeling giddy inside, which I sort of did. But it just made me feel ten times worse, knowing that she didn't feel the same way. _

_On my walk back to the Hufflepuff common room, I replayed the whole thing over and over again in my mind. The way I tucked that stray piece of hair behind her ear, the way she leaned in, the way our noses touched gently, the way our lips were barely centimetres apart. I was ecstatic, yet at the same time, so confused. What puzzled me so much was the fact that Anna leaned in first. That means she was entertaining the thought of us kissing, but more importantly, that thought sat well with her. Or maybe she was just pretending after seeing that I leaned in, too. Goodness, why do girls have to be so confusing? Correction, why does love have to be so confusing? Anna couldn't feel the same way about me, right? I mean, she only thinks of me as her best friend and nothing more. It was something I'd have to come to terms with, no matter how many times I'd try to convince myself otherwise. _

* * *

It's safe to say that my feelings towards Anna remained constant throughout our third year. As anticipated, it took us a while to get back on track. That awkward day we spent together never seemed to leave our thoughts. But, being the kind of friends we were, we eventually got over it. I never found out who Anna's crush was, much to my dismay, and she never found out who I was in love with. My third year consisted mostly of me admiring from afar, but from a close distance, too, so to speak. I couldn't bring myself to tell Anna that I was in love with her, but we still stayed best friends. It was emotionally painful for me, but hey, I got through it. Why did I stop feeling the way I did towards Anna? Well, during fourth year, we stopped talking. I wanted to stay friends with her, but instead, I became an arse. The rest is a story that's already been told.

Somewhere along the way during fourth year, I started having feelings towards Cho. It's simple to say that us getting together was mostly Anna's doing. It took me a long time to get over Anna. But somehow, someway, I was able to convince myself that I didn't deserve someone like her. She would never return my love. Cho was there for me when Anna wasn't. Being together with Cho obviously changed my perspective. Sure, there were times when I wished she could be more like Anna and when I missed Anna's personality. But I've grown to love Cho, and I've grown to see Anna as my true best friend. I guess you could say things really worked out for the best.

* * *

When I got up that Saturday morning, my clock read ten thirty. Bryan and I would be picking up Cho and Anna at eleven. And knowing Bryan Chase, he'd be on time, considering the amount of times he's taken girls on dates. I still felt leery about Anna agreeing to go out with Bryan, no matter how happy she was. Normally, I'd say that seeing her happy makes me happy. But Bryan's reputation doesn't exactly support him as a worthy candidate. If he were to ever hurt Anna, he'd be sorry, and that was a promise.

I took a quick shower and got changed. By the time I finished getting ready, it was already a quarter to eleven. So, I decided to head to the Ravenclaw Tower. _It's better to be early than late, _I thought. Plus, Chase would probably already be there, wanting to be early to impress Anna. I was hoping it would take more than punctuality to make her swoon over him. When I arrived at the Ravenclaw Tower, I saw that Bryan was already there, as predicted. _Cocky git._ I walked up to him, and he flashed me a smile.

"Hey mate! How's it going?" It amazed me how bubbly this guy could be. Normal people weren't like this. Maybe this was how he got girls to fawn over him.

"I'm alright. Yourself?" I tried to sound polite and civil, no matter how much I truly loathed the guy. After all, it was just common courtesy.

"I'm psyched for this date! I'm the first guy to go on a date with _Adrianna Summers_ this year. You don't even know how many guys would kill to be in my spot right now." I wanted to punch him square in the jaw. It was as if Anna was a prize to be won. Bryan had absolutely no respect for her personality. Just like so many other people, he was blinded by only what he _saw._

"I'm sure," I said sarcastically. I wanted it to come out so much harsher, but that's all I could muster.

"You must consider yourself a lucky guy having someone like her around you all the time." He paused a bit. "Are you sure you don't have any history with her? I mean, if I was in your position, I'd just feel like snogging her senseless all hours of the day." _That_ did it. Just because Anna liked this guy didn't mean I had to. I was about to say, no, shout something at him when Anna and Cho came out through the portrait hole. If they hadn't shown up sooner, I would've had my fist embedded in Bryan's perfectly tanned nose.

Bryan turned to face Anna as soon as she stepped out. I gave her a quick smile before walking to greet Cho with a kiss. "Hey," she said sweetly after we broke apart. I smiled back at her and reached down to take her hand, lacing our fingers together. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bryan greeting Anna.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Anna." He even kissed her cheek. _Wow,_ I thought, _this guy really does have experience with girls._ I have to admit though, Anna did look beautiful—her long brown hair was curled perfectly, her make-up emphasized those gorgeous green eyes, and she was wearing her usual dazzling smile. Well, she always looks beautiful. Any person could see that, even a dumbass like Bryan Chase. "I can't wait for today," he said as he smiled at her.

She blushed. "Same here, and thank you."

"Shall we?" He asked, holding out his hand. I wanted to stomp right over there and slap his hand away.

Anna laughed at him, completely awed by his "moves". "Yes, we shall." She took his hand, and I noticed how they intertwined their fingers. They already started walking ahead of me and Cho. So, I took advantage of my hand being locked with Cho's and gently led her with me to follow Anna and Bryan. She, of course, caught on and her pace became even with mine.

The whole journey there was pretty much silent for me and Cho. Occasionally, Cho would ask me something like 'Your classes are okay, right Ced?' or she'd say 'You really didn't have to take me today' for like the billionth time. I tried to give adequate responses, or a genuine smile here and there, but I was so much more interested in the two people that were walking in front of us. It was as if every two minutes, Anna laughed at something Bryan said. Please, the prat couldn't possibly be_ that_ funny. I doubt he was even telling jokes. Not once did she turn around to look at me or Cho, not even a quick glance. I guess she's just trying to block us off, since it was supposed to be _their _date, but still. Anna was obviously enjoying being in the company of a good-looking guy like him. It still puzzled me how someone as smart as her could've possibly fallen into this trap. EVERYONE at Hogwarts knows about Bryan Chase's reputation with girls. Anna is certainly not dumb, so why would she agree to go out with him in the first place?

We stopped by Honeydukes for a little bit to pick up some sweets. Afterwards, we headed to Tomes and Scrolls because Bryan said he needed to get a new book to complete his Charms essay. _Really? You're certainly not someone I want to give up my time for. I made the effort to come here. I'm not making time just so that you can finish a paper you're probably going to fail anyway. _I could tell just by the look in her eyes that Anna sensed that I was annoyed. Cho noticed, too, and assured me that it was okay with her. I guess if it's okay with Cho, it's okay with me. But don't me wrong, I was still annoyed. Just being in his presence pissed me off. I don't know how Anna managed to put up with him…how anyone managed to put with him for that matter.

We didn't stay at the bookshop long, which made me a tad less annoyed. It took Bryan less than ten minutes to find what he was looking for. He went to go stand in line to purchase his books. Seeing as though it would take a few minutes for the cashier to be free, I decided to browse around. I walked over to a nearby shelf and began going through books. I felt Cho come up beside me, and I looked up from the book I was currently sifting through to give her a smile. I put the book down and grabbed the one beside it. When I read the all-too familiar title, I could feel the memories rushing back to me already. I ran my fingers over the delicate cover that read "Romeo and Juliet: The Book Version". This was the book that meant so much to me, the one book that held a special place in my heart. I could tell Cho was confused as to why I was practically caressing this book, but she just didn't understand. When I looked up, expecting to see my girlfriend's chocolate brown eyes, I instead met the alluring green eyes that belonged to Anna. She walked towards me and Cho, and her smile grew ten times wider when she saw the book I was holding.

"Remember this?" I asked her. I couldn't help but put on a smile of my own.

"How could I forget?" she replied. We both knew why this book was so important to each of us. The book I have, though, is much more special because of the charm I cast on it. Now, whenever I read it, I can read Anna's beautiful hand-writing that wrote the most precious letter I've ever received. By the look on her face, I could see she was thinking about something. She opened her mouth slightly to say something, but Cho beat her to the punch.

"What's so special about this book though?" Cho asked sweetly. I wanted to tell her, but there was something inside me that made me want to keep it a secret. This book was a memory of my friendship with Anna. It was a reminder of why we chose to fight for our friendship even after all we've been through. Sure, Cho was my girlfriend, but I didn't feel that she absolutely _needed_ to know. I looked back at Anna, who seemed to be thinking exactly the same thing as me. She looked like she reached a conclusion, and opened her mouth to speak, but Bryan interrupted. It was something he was awfully good at.

"Hey, sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I really appreciate it." I rolled my eyes and smirked at him. I could've done worse, but he didn't take long looking for his book. So, I could at least give him that. Cho smiled sweetly, and I wondered how she could always stay so neutral and sweet. Bryan wrapped an arm around Anna, and suddenly, I felt like taking back that smirk.

"Don't even apologize. I would've done the same for you." She kissed Bryan on the cheek, leaving silly smiles on both of their faces after the contact. _Come on, Anna. I thought you were better than that._ That line, I have to admit, was cheesy, even for Anna. She was practically worshipping the ground he walked on! It was pitiful to see her being so desperate like this. Never before would she have let any boy, not even me, take control over her. This was a first.

I didn't need a mirror to see that I was giving Bryan the dirtiest look. I had every right to. The way he made Anna bow down to him didn't sit well with me at all. Cho, on the other hand, seemed happy as always. I don't know how she could possibly be happy with the way Bryan treated Anna. If only she heard all the things he said about her. I clenched my fists at the thought of what he said earlier before we picked Cho and Anna up. I needed to regain myself. I couldn't show my anger so easily. So I grabbed Cho's hand and held it tightly. I knew it was the one thing that could get me to calm down in a situation like this. When I felt more at peace, I decided to make a suggestion. "How about we go to the Three Broomsticks? I could really have myself a butterbeer right now. What about you guys?"

"Sounds good!" Bryan exclaimed. I saw him take Anna's hand. "I'm sure Anna, here, would love one as well."  
She giggled and blushed. "I would."

"Great then. Let's go before the place gets too busy." I cut her off quickly. I had just about enough of this yuck fest, and I needed to get out. At least in The Three Broomsticks, I had a clear view of Bryan, so I could see every move he made.

We walked to The Three Broomsticks and got a table. I sat next to Anna, across from Cho. Bryan sat across from Anna. In spite of the fact that it was Bryan who chose the seating arrangement, I wasn't that annoyed, considering that I was sitting next to Anna. Cho didn't look disappointed either. Instead, I think she found it more romantic to sit across from me rather than next to me. After ordering our drinks, I found that the table was really quiet. It wasn't that there was nothing to talk about. It was just that we simply didn't want to say what we wanted to in front of each other. The only person I could truly say everything I wanted to in front of was Anna. I snuck a quick glance at her and I could tell she was thinking the same thing. I found it weird that I couldn't say certain things in front of my own girlfriend.

After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, Bryan finally spoke up. "So, Anna, how's life?" I wanted to burst out laughing at his pathetic question. I mean, really? Who the hell asks "How's life?" You just don't ask something like that. But of course, Bryan Chase wasn't exactly the finest male specimen.

"It's okay, I guess. I dunno, how's yours?" I started laughing when I saw Anna struggling for words. How else could you answer that question? Honestly. Anna joined in my laughing, and soon enough, we were having another one of our insane laughing sessions.

I could tell just by looking at them that Cho and Bryan were embarrassed by our laughter. Cho was looking around to see if other people were annoyed by us. Meanwhile, Bryan was looking at Anna as if she was an animal. It's clear that he's never seen this side of her. Correction, he's never seen the _real_ Anna.

After a very long time of laughing, and even crying for Anna, we settled down. I heard Bryan release a sigh of relief, and I rolled my eyes at his immaturity. I also heard him mutter something under his breath. What that something was, I had no clue. But it seemed as though Anna heard this, too. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I could tell she tried her best to sound sweet, but it came out as anything but that.

"Oh nothing, don't worry about it, Anna." Bryan tried to reassure her that things were alright. He even reached across the table to grab her hand, but Anna pulled away, still not convinced.

"No, tell me. If it's stupid, then I'm sure you can spare telling me, right?" she asked. I couldn't help but snort at how much of an idiot this guy was.

"It's just that yours and Cedric's laughing was a little bit more than outrageous. If you guys didn't stop, we would've gotten kicked out for sure. I'm not trying to be an arse, I'm just saying that, well, Anna, I expected you to be more classy than that." He did not just say that. I could feel myself boiling inside at the nerve of him. How dare he say that to Anna! She deserved more respect than that. He had absolutely no right to insult her. _Nobody_ had the right to insult her.

"You don't think I'm classy enough for you?" _Please Anna, don't try to reason with him. _She needed to stop trying to please him. I had just about enough of it.

"Anna, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that you should be more reserved than that. I mean, I've seen you at meals…you're a complete pig! Someone with a face like yours should consider revising their eating habits." My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had no clue that someone could have that much air about them. I looked across the table and saw that Cho's mouth was visibly open, too. It's safe to say that we were more than surprised. But what shocked me was that, when I looked at Anna next to me, she was smiling.

"Thank you Bryan, for that…helpful piece of advice. But, since you felt that helping me was necessary, do you think it's alright if I give you some help, too?" Anna asked, extending her hand to touch Bryan's from across the table. _What the hell was she doing? _Did she not hear what he said before?! I snuck a quick glance at Cho and saw that she was just as puzzled as me.

Bryan blushed, but regained his cocky façade. "Sure, anything for you, babe." Merlin, this guy was unbelievable. I _know_ that Anna hated being called "babe". I know that _I _hated hearing someone call her "babe", especially if that someone was Bryan Chase.

"Well, _I_ think…" she leaned a little closer to him.

"Yes…" he leaned closer, too, smiling suggestively.

"That you're a total asshole!" she screamed in his face. He jumped back at her sudden outburst, clearly shocked. It looked like things were just about to get interesting. "You decide to ask me out on a date, and you know I'm obviously going to say yes, which unfortunately, I did. Then, you have the nerve to insult me on our 'date'? I don't think so! Who do you think you are?! Honestly! You think you're the hottest guy in school, which I was stupid enough to think you were! You think you can get any girl. And now, I feel so stupid, so, so stupid, because I am just another one of those girls! I mean, do you even like me?" I agreed with everything she said, yes, but I pitied her towards the end. I didn't know for sure if she truly cared about Bryan, but hearing her plead for his approval of her made me feel sorry for her.

Bryan stayed quiet. He reddened, probably because nobody's ever called him out like that before. It took him a while to find his voice again. But when he did, his voice came out quite loud. "I don't know, Anna. I really don't. I just wanted to see how things would go on this date. But it's clear that things didn't go as anticipated." You could've detected his sarcasm from a mile away, and you could've sensed my rage from two miles away. I honestly couldn't believe that he was actually blaming the whole thing on Anna! It wasn't even her fault! I mean, what did she even do?

"Don't you go blaming this shit on me! It's your fault your pompous ass had to go insulting me, telling me not to be myself just because _you're_ with me. I have enough respect for myself and enough dignity to not put up with somebody who doesn't even care about me. I need a genuine person. I need somebody who will love me more than he loves looking in the mirror. "

"You're something else, you know that? You go around Hogwarts winking at boys and flirting aimlessly. Don't even talk about 'a genuine person'. You wouldn't know what a genuine person was if they slapped you right in the face!" He laughed harshly. "You're just what everyone else says you are. You're a slut." _Now, _I felt like punching him. How dare he call Anna that. How dare he call my best friend that. Nobody, _nobody, _had any right to say that about her. Anna was anything but a slut. She was everything above and beyond that.

It was right at that moment that the waiter came by with our butterbeers. _Perfect timing, _I thought. Anna stood up and grabbed one of the glasses off of the waiter's tray. She chugged the butterbeer, until the glass was completely empty. She slammed the empty mug down on the table. Bryan, Cho, and I jumped back from the forceful contact. Cho looked somewhat frightened, but I on the other hand was completely amused with this little show Anna was putting on. The best part was that I knew she had more tricks up her sleeve. What can I say? I was a little bit more than relieved that she finally came to the realization that Bryan Chase is an asshole.

Bryan looked startled, and turned pale. Before I knew it, Anna had taken another glass of butterbeer from the waiter's tray. She smiled mischievously and then dumped it on him. _Merlin, this is great! _He stood up as soon as the liquid hit him, Anna continuing to empty the glass all the while. She smiled widely at him, content with the work she did. It was then that I looked around and noticed the audience that had formed around our table. Some people clapped, laughed, hooted and hollered. To end the entire thing, Anna kissed Bryan full on the mouth, smiling the whole time. When she broke free, she headed straight for the door. Before leaving though, she turned around and smirked at Bryan. "By the way, it's Adrianna. You don't deserve to call me Anna." With that, she left.

It took Bryan, Cho, and I a while to register what just happened. Bryan was still dripping wet with butterbeer, Cho still looked shocked, but I was dying of laughter. I couldn't help myself, in spite of the death glares Bryan was giving me through sopped pieces of hair. The crowd around us eventually dispersed, leaving us to ourselves once again. It wasn't long before Bryan spoke up.

"How dare that girl think she can just do something like that and get away with it!" he snarled through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, but who do you think you are?" I asked, standing up. I was an easy couple inches taller than him. "You insulted her, called her a slut, and now you expect some sort of apology?" I scoffed, in total disbelief. Cho tried reaching for my hand to calm me down, but I pulled away. I wasn't about to let anything get in the way of me confronting this guy.

"Well, _obviously_ I expect an apology! I'm dripping wet with fucking butterbeer! Not to mention she completely ruined my clothes! Words cannot describe how expensive these cost!" he exclaimed, pointing to his pants and shirt. "She probably wouldn't even be able to afford one stitch of these…stupid Mudblood." _That's it._

I practically leapt for Bryan, and before I knew it, we were on the floor, me on top of him. I began punching the living daylights out of him. I didn't care if people were watching, heck, I didn't care if Cho was screaming, telling me to stop. I just kept punching, using more and more power with every hit. He had no way of defending himself. It got to the point where Bryan's nose was spewing blood. It was rare that I lost control like this, but what he did and said to Anna…this was what he deserved. I was only keeping the promise I made earlier that day.

"Cedric! Cedric, stop! Stop!" Cho was screaming, trying to get a hold of my fist. She was practically on top of me. Clearly, this tactic didn't seem to prove to be effective, so she opted for a new one. The next punch I was about to throw at Bryan, Cho shielded him, putting herself between the two of us. I quickly retracted my fist. She knew I'd stop if she did that. Though I wanted to keep giving Bryan a taste of his own medicine, I was grateful that Cho found a way to stop me. Merlin knows what kind of condition he would've been in if I hadn't.

The mass of people around us began to clear as I stood up, Cho's shaking hand in mine. Bryan somehow managed to get up, though wobbling all the while. He found a way to steady himself, and wiped some of the blood off his nose with his arm. He no longer looked cocky or arrogant or defiant. Instead, he looked something I never imagined he would: scared.

"You stay away from her," I said darkly. "If you even think of laying one hand on her or insulting her one more time, it'll be worse." I glared at him, and by the look of it, he knew I was serious. He knew he crossed a line. Bryan gave me one last glance before exiting the Three Broomsticks.

Once again, the crowd of people slowly dispersed. I sat down with Cho at our table, still breathing heavily from the fight. I didn't even bother looking at her face, which was probably glazed over with fear and worry. Instead, I kept a hard focus on the wooden table. I could feel Cho's hand still shaking in mine, so I covered it with my other free hand. When I looked up, I saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"Don't scare me like that ever again, Cedric," she said through sobs.

"What was I supposed to do though Cho? Just let him say all those things about Anna and get away with it? You saw what he did, you were there. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something," I tried explaining to her calmly.

"I understand, Ced, but if I didn't stop you, who knows what would've happened. I'm pretty sure Bryan already has a broken nose, but it could've been worse," she looked down, ashamed of her constant worrying for me.

"Cho, you need to stop worrying about me. I can handle myself and you know that. You're my girlfriend, you should trust me. And Anna's my best friend. She doesn't deserve to be called those things or treated the way Bryan was treating her."

"I trust you, Cedric, I really do. I just don't want you getting hurt. I understand that Anna's your best friend, that's fine. But how do you think she'll react if she found out about the fight? Do you think she'd be happy?" She was still crying and sniffling. I honestly didn't see the problem though. Cho was overreacting. It made me kind of angry, seeing how she was saying that I did the wrong thing. In my opinion, I did what was right.

"She wouldn't be happy, but she wouldn't be upset. That I know for sure. Cho, I really think I did the right thing. I was standing up for Anna. How can you accuse that as being a wrongdoing?" I was about to mention something about fourth year, how I'm choosing to stand up for Anna now, but I couldn't. Cho couldn't find out like this. We were already getting into a somewhat fight as is.

"I never accused you of anything. I just want you safe," she said shakily, and the tears were coming down harder now. I tried stroking her hands to calm her down, but it didn't seem to work.

After a while of trying to get Cho to stop crying, I needed some fresh air. Moreover, I needed to find Anna. I knew she wouldn't be handling the situation too well. I couldn't trust her on her own after what happened. I'd feel guilty about leaving Cho, but Anna needed me.

"Cho," I spoke up to break the silence, "I think I should go look for Anna." Her brown eyes were flooded with tears and I instantly felt bad about wanting to leave her. She looked sad, of course, but gave me a weak smile.

"That's fine, Ced. I'll be able to make it back on my own."

"Are you sure? I mean, I could take you back now if you want…" I didn't want to waste time in finding Anna, but the least I could do for my own girlfriend was take her back to the castle. After all, she cared so much about me.

"No I'll be alright. I had a good time today," she said sweetly. I could tell she really didn't, but she hid her negative thoughts well.

"Okay. I'll see you tonight at dinner." I stood up and gave her a kiss before taking off.

_Where could she be? _I hoped she didn't already go back to the castle. I kept walking, passing Honeydukes and Tomes and Scrolls on the way. I walked for another ten minutes before spotting a girl sitting on a rock, overlooking the castle. I knew exactly who it was. I began making my way towards her. She seemed to have heard my footsteps, as she turned around quickly to see who it was. When she saw it was me, she turned back around to face the magnificent view.

"Did you come to gloat? To say 'I told you so'? Which by the way you did…" She looked down, ashamed. Indeed, I _did_ tell her. But this wasn't the time to poke fun. I took a seat on the rock next to her.

"No, I didn't come to gloat. But I can if you like." I smiled, hoping it would cheer her up. She gave me a small one, still sad.

"Go ahead. I don't care anymore. I mean, it's not like _he _cared, so why should I." I hated seeing my best friend hurting like this. It hurt _me_ to see her like this. I could see her eyes starting to water.

I frowned. "Anna, it's not your fault. He's a jerk, that's what he is. So what if he didn't care? I mean, really Anna, did _you_ even care about him?"

She thought about this for a while before answering. "No…" she looked down again, letting tears fall.

"You're better than him, Anna. Don't feel like you're not good enough because let me tell you, you're more than good enough." Anna deserved the world. It pained me to see her begging for other people's approval of her like this. She is a beautiful person. She just has to convince herself that she is.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked through sobs and sniffles.

"Of course I mean that. You're an amazing person, Anna. And one day," I leaned forward a bit to wipe her tears with my thumb, "you're going to find that one person who will love you for you are, who will accept you, cherish you, and want to spend every minute of their life with you." I paused, thinking about how stupid Bryan is to not see the kind of person Anna is. "Jerks like him don't come close to deserving girls like you." I meant every word I said to her, and I could tell she was listening.

She smiled before wrapping her arms around me tightly and I returned the embrace. She whispered softly in my ear, "Thank you, Ced, for you know…being you." We stayed like that for a long time before breaking apart. When we did, I smiled back at her.

"Anytime, Anna."

"Wait, where's Cho?" She sounded shocked, like the thought had just hit her. I couldn't tell Anna about my little fight with Bryan, nor could I tell her about how I just left Cho by herself. I don't know how she'd react to either. I'd tell her eventually, but she's been through enough today. I had to make something up for the time being.

"Oh, don't worry. Bryan left shortly after you did to get cleaned up and what not. And I was ready to leave, too. Cho saw how eager I was to get out and told me to go find you. She said she'd be able to make it back by herself."

To my surprise, she laughed. "So you decided to leave your girlfriend to wander through Hogsmeade alone just because you wanted to find me?"

"I'm pretty sure she's capable. And plus, you're my best friend. After what just happened, I couldn't trust you on your own," I teased, smirking.

"Oh please. If anything it's the other way around." We both starting laughing. After a few minutes, we were able to catch our breaths. I looked at Anna, and she seemed to be thinking about something. Her angelic green eyes remained in a staring state, pondering something.

"Would you like me to read you some poetry?" Her question surprised me. I didn't think that she'd ask me this for a long while, considering it was a great part of our past. I wasn't sure if we were ready for that just yet. But clearly, she thought we were. I've always admired the poems Anna read in

that book of hers. Not only were the poems inspirational and full of emotion, but I knew that they were important to Anna. I respected anything she held high. Her asking me if I wanted her to read me a poem wasn't just any opportunity. It was a privilege, a chance to reminisce good memories from the past. It was a part of our friendship.

My head moved up slowly, and my eyes met Anna's. I smiled at her. "How could I say no?"

"Which one do you want?"

"I think you know the answer to that one." It's been four years since I last heard this poem. I was excited to hear it again. My friends would probably think I'm crazy for getting giddy over a poem. But Anna was one of the only people whose opinion I genuinely treasured.

She flipped to the poem she loved so much, and took a deep breath before reading it.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I marked the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference."

She read with such expression, such clarity. The words came out beautifully, as they always have. Anna closed her eyes and smiled, letting every part of the poem sink in. I watched her eyes flutter open, and our eyes met once again. She gave me a cheeky grin before closing her book and putting it back in her bag. While she was, there was a question I've been wanting to ask her for a long time. I wasn't sure how she would respond to it. It could be a touchy subject for her for all I know. But I decided to ask it anyway.

"Anna?"

"Yes?" She looked back up at me.

"You never told me why that poem always meant so much to you."

She looked down sadly. It was clearly something she didn't intend on telling me about. I could tell the reason, whatever it happened to be, was something she didn't talk to many people about. Perhaps it was one of those things she didn't want to revisit again. I felt guilty about my curiosity and asking the question. But by the deep breath Anna took, I knew she had an answer ready.

"I loved the poem from the minute I first read it. It sparked great interest in me. When I used to read it to you in our favourite spot, there really was no significance behind it. I just liked it. But after I left in fourth year, things changed. Garrett died, as I told you before. You know how close we were, that doesn't need explaining. But on the day of his funeral, that poem became more than just a poem. It became a goal I had to achieve. I wouldn't let what happened between you and I stop me from living my life. So, I vowed to do everything I could to change myself. I guess you could say that poem was Garrett's way of telling me to keep going, to never give up."

_Wow._ That was the only thing I could think. I never knew that a poem could symbolize that much to one person. It made me remember that _I _was the reason she changed in the first place. I know we agreed to leave the bad things in the past, but something like that is impossible to let go of, especially when it happened to your best friend. There was still so much I wanted to say to Anna, so many apologies I had to say to her. But I knew that she wouldn't appreciate me bringing all that up again.

I looked at Anna, who was looking out over the breathtaking view. I thought about how strong of a person she is to have been through all that she did. We stayed silent for a long time, but I decided to speak up. "I'm sorry, Anna."

"Pardon me? I didn't hear what you said."

"I said I'm sorry, I truly am. I'm sorry for everything I did." I looked down, ashamed of everything I did, all the pain I caused Anna for the past three years.

She frowned and scooted closer to me. "What's done is done, we can't change what happened. But we can move on," she said, giving me a smile. I was completely awestruck. After all that happened, after how much I hurt Anna, she still found a way to forgive me. She still found a way to make me feel like I didn't do anything wrong. _This_ is why she's my best friend.

"You're right." I smiled back at her.

We spent another hour or so sitting together, talking and laughing. It was nice being alone with Anna again, just the two of us. It felt like old times, the times when we didn't need to worry about life always getting in the way. Being with my best friend felt like there was no pressure around me to be perfect, or any evil forces in the world that could defeat good. I missed these kinds of times…

The walk back to the castle was pretty much silent. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the friendly silence. It was refreshing to have a break, especially from the busy events of the day. I walked Anna back to the Ravenclaw Tower, remembering when I once told her that it was part of the date. I smiled at the memory. When we got to the entrance, she turned around to face me. She averted her eyes to the floor instead of looking at me. I did the same. Things became awkward as we both remembered what happened last time. _We almost kissed._ I remembered how happy I was when I realized I was in love with Anna, yet how depressed I was when I realized that she would never feel the same way. I remembered how confused I was when our lips almost met.

My thoughts were stirred when I heard Anna clear her throat. "Thanks for being there for me today, Ced. It really means a lot." She gave me a sweet smile.

"Anything for you, Anna." I smiled back at her and took a step forward to wrap my arms around her. She returned the embrace. We stayed like that for a while before breaking apart.

When we did, I asked her a question I'd been itching to. It was something we let go of a long time ago, but there was no harm in bringing it up again. "You never did tell me who it was that you had a crush on back in third year."

"Well I guess you'll never know," she teased as she grinned at me. She turned around and was about to step through the portrait, but I grabbed her wrist. She turned back around to face me.

"Don't be like that, Anna. Come on, just tell me. I mean, it was four years ago! I'm pretty sure we've both matured since then."

She crossed her arms over her chest. I braced myself for a smart comment to follow. "If you're so eager, then why don't you tell me the name of the girl you were in love with." _Shit. _I honestly didn't think she'd remember, but I shouldn't have doubted her in the first place. She's an intelligent girl. She remembers everything. I could feel myself redden. My face was probably as red as a tomato.

"No way! I'm not telling you unless you tell me." I probably sounded like a little kid, but I didn't care. Anna knew how I could be sometimes.

She started laughing. "We're so immature. We don't even have the guts to tell each other about our loves from four years ago!"

I couldn't help but stifle a laugh myself. "Why don't we keep it a secret?"

"It _has_ been a secret for the past four years," she chuckled.

"Well then why don't we continue to keep it a secret? It's clear that both of us are too stubborn to tell the other person, so why don't we agree to tell each other…say, by Christmas Eve?" I knew I'd probably regret this when the time came for me to tell her the truth, but I already had my hand outstretched. She seemed to be thinking the same thing. I saw that she was deep in thought, probably weighing out the pros and cons. But she eventually shook my hand in agreement.

"Deal," she said, smirking.  
"Great," _No, not great. Cedric, you just made the worst promise of your life. _"I guess I should let you go now. I'll see you tonight at dinner. Oh, and don't be too upset over Bryan. Remember what I told you."

"Of course. Thanks again, Cedric," she said, smiling. She answered the riddle and entered the portrait hole.

I made my way back to the Hufflepuff common room, all the while thinking about the deal I made with Anna. Sure, it happened a whole four years ago, but it might make things rocky again. Things just cleared up between us. I couldn't afford to make things worse. I couldn't hurt her again. Telling her I was in love with her would definitely make things awkward. Knowing Anna, she'd probably find the nicest way possible to tell me she never felt the same way. But, on the other hand, she'd have to hold up her end of the deal, too. I'd find out, after ALL this time, who the guy was that once held her heart. It's easy to say that I wanted to back out of the deal. But I couldn't do that to Anna. And, as proved through the day's events, I always keep my promises.

* * *

**I hope y'all enjoyed Chapter 11! The next one won't be up for another week or so, but I'll do my best. Please review my wonderful readers! **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: The Tri-Wizard Tournament

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that belong to J.K. Rowling, only my OC's.

Author's Note: I am SO sorry for not updating in a long time. I realize it's been almost a month since I last did, and I apologize once again for my tardiness. This one's a little shorter than normal, and quite honestly, it's been the hardest one for me to write. But anyway, here's Chapter 12!

**Anna P.O.V.**

I didn't let my horrible date with Bryan get in the way of me having an amazing week. There were times when I'd pass by him, but he didn't seem to have the same cockiness or arrogance about him. There was definitely something different. I couldn't quite place my finger on it. What I did know was that Marietta Edgecomb was his new flavour. I couldn't help but chuckle, but it was bound to happen soon. Sure, I still felt somewhat cheated and played. But what Cedric said to me stuck in my mind.

That Monday, Cedric and I had to brew our potion again after we screwed up the first time. I was surprised at how considerate Snape was being. We went to his classroom that night after dinner. Snape told us that he had an important meeting to attend to with Dumbledore, so he'd check on our potion in an hour. When we asked him what it was about, he said we'd find out soon enough.

"_Now_ you add the rose thorns," I told Cedric, chuckling, remembering how eager he was to put them in the first time.

"I know, it's _my_ fault we have to do this all over again," he said sarcastically.

"It sure is. I'm glad you see that," I smiled at him, stirring the potion.

We stayed quiet for the rest of the time, completely focussed on brewing the potion. We didn't want to mess up again. Plus, the chances of Snape giving us another chance was slim to none. We both needed to perfect it. Cedric spoke up after a while, as I stirred the potion for the second time.

"So, you're attracted to vanilla, cinnamon, and watermelon," he said teasingly.

I laughed. "I didn't think you'd remember. That class was more than a week ago."

"Of course I remember. How could I forget when you mentioned watermelons?" He smiled at me.

"Yes, well, everyone thought it was weird. Not the vanilla and cinnamon, the watermelon, I mean."

"Obviously they thought it was weird! That's not exactly a scent many people are attracted to."

"Shut it, Diggory. You know exactly why I like watermelons," I gave him a slight push.

"I know the reason, I just like teasing you," he smirked.

"Yeah yeah." I blushed slightly in embarrassment.

We continued brewing the potion and my mind flashed back to a memory of mine. I smiled at the thought of it. Cedric was probably looking at me like I was an idiot, but I didn't care. I was too caught up in remembering to be aware of my surroundings.

* * *

"_Anna, what the hell are you doing?" a curious Cedric asked as he looked at me, confusion evident on his face. It was during our second year, and we were sitting in our favourite spot on a sunny spring day._

"_Well, what does it look like? I'm eating a bowl of watermelon," I replied, as if it were an obvious answer. _

"_I can see that, but I mean why? We've been studying for almost an hour for this Potions test, and all you've been doing is eating!" _

"_For your information, it's not just eating. I'm actually preparing for this test." _

_He laughed. "Preparing? How is that even possible?" I could picture him smiling. _

"_Well, you see, it's kind of something I do before every test. I've never exactly told anyone because it's kind of embarrassing." _

"_Come on, Anna. I'm your best friend. Sure, you're a little weird at times, but hey, we all have our downfalls," he chuckled. I managed to give him a good whack on the arm. In response to his cries of pain, I smiled triumphantly. _

"_Fine, I'll tell you. But if you so much as tell even Nearly Headless Nick, I'll have your head before you can even raise your wand, Diggory." _

_Cedric chuckled at my threat. "I promise, Anna. I won't tell a soul." _

_I took a deep breath before beginning. "Good. Okay, here goes…When I was younger, as in four or five years old, my Kindergarten teacher would have me read the poems I wrote in front of my school. She thought I had talent and where I'm from, adults think it's cute to embarrass little children. I'd cry every single night leading up to the day when I'd have to read the poem. It got to the point where I'd throw up through the night and not sleep. My parents and even Garrett tried everything: reading me stories before bed, giving me more at dinnertime, even talking to our family doctor. But nothing worked. It's safe to say that they pretty much gave up on me and my outrageous nerves. _

_My grandmother, Grace, she was my mom's mother, but she passed away when I was ten. Anyway, one night when she stopped by our house for dinner, I told her about my 'anxiety problem'. She told me she knew exactly what would help me. Right then and there, she told me to put on my jacket. Together, we walked to the grocery store a block from my house. She purchased three large watermelons. I remember laughing and asking her, 'Gran, what exactly are these for?' She only smiled and said, 'You'll see, Annie.' _

_When we got home, she began slicing each watermelon. I was still confused as to how they were going to help me. She told me to get changed for bed and then come back downstairs when I was done. I did as I was told, and when I ran back downstairs, I found three bowls sitting on the dining room table, each holding perfectly sliced pieces of watermelon. My grandmother was sitting in one of the chairs and motioned me to sit beside her. She told me, 'I want you to eat a piece of watermelon.' I did as she said and popped one of the pieces in my mouth. I can still remember its juicy flavour. I also remember having to spit out two seeds. My grandmother chuckled at me when she saw I came across the seeds. She told me, 'You see, Annie? These watermelons have seeds. In fact, all watermelons have seeds. You know why?' I replied, 'Because that's how things grow.'"_

_I looked into Cedric's grey eyes and saw that he was listening very attentively. He smiled at me, clearly entertained by my story. After a moment's silence, he looked at me again, his eyes full of anticipation and excitement. "Please continue, Anna." I smiled and nodded. _

"'_Exactly, because that's how things grow.' That was her response. I, being a stubborn four-year-old still didn't understand the point of this whole watermelon thing. 'But Gran,' I protested, 'what does this have to do with my problem?' She took me onto her lap and began stroking my long, wavy brown hair. 'Annie, think of life itself as a watermelon. You're always going to come across those seeds every once in a while. Just like you said yourself, the seeds will help you to grow, no matter how difficult they may be to get through. But you can't let them get the better of you. So, you have to do exactly what you just did: spit them out and move on to the next piece of watermelon.' I thought about what she said for a while. 'I see now, Gran. I've been overthinking it this whole time. Thank you for helping me.' I gave her a hug and we ended up eating the rest of the watermelon. And I have to say, for all the other times I had to read poems in front of the school, I no longer had any problems. I did, however, ask my parents to buy me a watermelon to eat every night before. Same went for tests and the like. Once I started applying what my grandmother said to every 'seed' in my life, it's helped me get through them with more ease every time."_

_Cedric stayed quiet for some time, thinking about what I had said. He looked up at me again before speaking. "So, that's helped you for every single test, quiz, exam?" _

"_Yes. Any important event really." I grinned at him. _

"_Interesting. And I'm guessing you have this infinite love of watermelons or something?" he grinned back._

"_You're absolutely right."_

* * *

Cedric's voice stirred me from my thoughts. "Anna! Anna, come on, the potion's done. I finished brewing it after you spaced out on me." He sounded a little annoyed with my lack of assistance, but it's about time he starts doing his fair share of the work.

"Sorry Ced, I was just thinking about something."

"It's all good. I think I got it right this time."

I walked over to the cauldron and peaked at the boiling substance. It was the perfect shade of pink. "Looks like you've perfected it, though I think it's about time," I teased him.

He began jumping and dancing around the classroom like a little girl. I started laughing and he joined in. Between laughs, I managed to say, "Cedric, stop! Snape will be back soon and we can't have him thinking we've been partying this whole time!"

"Screw Snape! The way I see it, the potion's done and that's the only reason we came here, right? I don't see a problem with having a little fun." With that, he ran over to me, grabbed both my hands, and began dancing. Pretty soon, we were both dancing like maniacs, still hand in hand. Both of us were smiling and laughing so much our sides ached. Neither of us seemed to hear the sound of the classroom door opening and closing.

"What is going on in here?" I could recognize Snape's nasal voice from a mile away.

Cedric was quick to respond when he saw that I was at a loss for words. "Well Professor Snape, we finished brewing the potion just like you asked. We decided to have a little fun is all."

"I see. You both know that you should receive a detention for this plus a deduction of points from both your houses. But," he walked over to our cauldron, "judging by your brew of Amortentia, I see that that will be unnecessary. Consider yourselves lucky, but next time, there will surely be consequences. Do I make myself clear Mr. Diggory, Miss Summers?"

"Yes Professor Snape," we said in unison.

"Very well. You will both receive an O for this potion. Back to your common rooms immediately."

Cedric and I hurried out without another moment's hesitation. It's like lying on a bed of nails when you're with Snape. I accepted Cedric's offer of walking me back to the Ravenclaw Tower. He said he had Prefect duties to attend to anyway. On our walk, he was quick to strike up a conversation.

"That was…interesting to say the least," he chuckled.

"I think any time with Snape can be considered interesting."

"My thoughts exactly," he replied and smiled. "I'm going to predict you smelled watermelons when you smelled the finished potion?" Cedric said teasingly. I shoved him lightly as we continued walking.

"Obviously I smelled watermelons, among vanilla and cinnamon of course. But the real question is what did Cedric Diggory smell?" I smiled at him coyly.

"_That_ is absolutely none of your business," he said as he stuck his nose high up in the air. I scoffed.

"Oh please. When is our friendship ever going to be fair? I tell you about my watermelons and you're scared to tell me what scents you're attracted to?"

He seemed to think about this for a moment as his pace began to slow down. "Fine, if you're dying to find out, I smelled your mom's raisin bread, Quidditch, and strawberry cream." He looked embarrassed about it all, seeing as though he was blushing, especially towards the end.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Ced." I kept quiet when I realized that he was attracted to strawberry cream. That scent had been my perfume for the past seven years. Surely it was a coincidence.

Cedric noticed that I was being silent. "What?"

"What?" I tried to sound innocent.

"Well, why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Do you not approve of the scents I'm attracted to?"

I laughed and he mirrored it. "Of course not. I just found it a coincidence that you like strawberry cream and that happens to be my perfume. That's all." I was concerned that I was being too forward with my thoughts, but Cedric's my best friend. If anyone would understand me, it'd be him.

He laughed awkwardly. "It sure is quite the coincidence."

The walk after that was mainly quiet. I truly hated these kinds of awkward silences. When we reached the portrait, I turned around to face Cedric. "So, do you have any ideas as to what the important matter was Snape had to see Dumbledore about?"

"No clue. But he did say that we'd find out soon. I'm sure there's going to be a big announcement within the next week."

"Probably. Anyway, goodnight Ced. Have fun with your little Prefect duties," I teased him.

"Goodnight, Anna." He gave me a smile before I answered the riddle and walked through the portrait.

* * *

I woke up nice and early the next day after being greeted with a relaxing night's sleep. I guess receiving an "O" on the potion really did brighten my mood. I took a quick shower and got changed into my school robes before heading down to the Great Hall. Seeing as though there was a lack of a girl's body in her bed, I assumed Cho was already at breakfast. With Cedric no doubt.

When I entered the Great Hall, it was abuzz. There was chatter in every corner of the room. Perhaps I was being delusional, considering it was always loud at meal times. But still, something seemed different. I walked over to where Cho and Cedric were sitting. However, I noticed they weren't talking. _Something's definitely up. _They looked up immediately when they heard me coming. Cedric gave me a half-smile and Cho a somewhat frown. I was going to ask about the gloomy behaviour, but I decided against it. After all, it was their relationship. It was none of my business whatever the hell was wrong in their love lives together.

I sat down next to Cedric. Even though neither of them seemed to be "in the mood", Cedric's welcome seemed a bit more convincing. I immediately began loading my plate with food and stuffing my face with sausage. It was a while before either one of us spoke up. I would've sooner, but I was clearly in the middle of eating my breakfast.

"I hear the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be arriving tonight," Cedric said passively.

This interested me. Defense Against the Dark Arts had always been one of my favourite classes in school. Since I missed a whole three years of it, I was excited to hear the news of a new professor teaching it. I was more than depressed when I saw there was an empty seat for it at the Welcoming Feast.

After swallowing a piece of sausage, I joined in the conversation. "That's great news! It's about time if you ask me. I mean, a whole year without DADA? I'd go mad!"

Cedric chuckled lightly and Cho gave a small smile. "Yes well, others aren't as cheery as you, Anna. It's a difficult class, not to mention a physical and mental stresser. Some people are afraid of the class actually," he said. I agreed with what Cedric said though. Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't a class for just anybody. If you weren't interested within the first couple weeks you started it, you could say it was going to be the living hell of your term.

"I agree, I think the class is quite intimidating. The part that I think gets everyone on edge is the fact that dark magic really does exist in the world. We're taught at such a young age on how to defend ourselves, yet most of us haven't even conjured the courage to produce a patronus. It's all a little ridiculous. I just hope the new professor can bring a new light to the class." Cedric nodded the whole while I spoke, but Cho just sat there, playing around with her untouched food. I felt guilty about not including her earlier on, but she really did look down. Perhaps it worked to all of our advantages if neither Cedric nor I bothered her.

"Of course you like the class. That's because you were the first one to produce a patronus charm in our year! You know how hard it is for a third year to do that?"

"It's challenging, that's for sure. But don't send all the flattery my way. I've heard that Harry Potter produced a patronus charm last year. He was in third year, too, just like I was."

"You're right. Nice bloke, that Harry Potter. I met him this past summer at the Quidditch World Cup. It's a shame really what's happened to him."

Before I could even say anything, I heard Cho cough across from me. She stood up and picked up her bag. "I'm going to head to class now. I'll, um, see you guys later." With that, she left. I was surprised by her behaviour, but by the way Cedric was trying to avoid eye contact with her, I assume he wasn't the least bit surprised. Again, I was going to ask about what's going on between the two of them, but I decided not to pry. Instead, I carried on with the conversation, like Cho was never even there in the first place.

"I felt like life was over when I lost Garrett, but losing your parents…that has to be rough. Not only that, it's the _way_ it happened. And now, everyone acts weird around him. I pity him for having to cope with a terrible loss and being bombarded with society because of it. But at least he's got the Weasley boy and Hermoine Granger."

Cedric sighed. "I met them, too. They seem nice. It's good that he has them as real friends."

"So it seems like you've met quite the bunch this past summer," I teased him and he smiled.

"Yes, and I saw one person you'd be particularly interested in. Viktor Krum."

I gasped loudly. I felt like the first years sitting near us could hear me. "Are you serious? You met THE Viktor Krum?! You _know_ he's like my hero. Ever since I started playing Quidditch, he's been my idol!" I started getting giddy, thinking of the handsome Bulgarian.

"Yeah yeah. I'd rather eat my breakfast and _not_ have you giggle like a four-year-old because of Viktor Krum," Cedric said in rather annoyance, before shoving a piece of toast into his mouth.

"I'll meet him someday. Don't you worry. But classes are starting in ten minutes. We should head to Potions. I doubt Snape will continue to be the considerate person he has been as of late," I said, standing up and gathering my books together.

"You're right," Cedric replied, doing the same. "It is Snape after all. Expect a lecture at the beginning of class, regardless of whether or not we're late."

* * *

Throughout the day, Cho wasn't much happier than she was at breakfast. Whenever I tried talking to her or when I said something funny, she would give me the same small smile that was not persuasive in any way. Whatever it was that happened between her and Cedric was sure eating her up. We were in the common room finishing up homework before dinner. We'd been working for two straight hours, and I never got a peep out of her. It got to the point where I had about enough.

"Okay, what happened between you and Cedric? And I want to know now. You're quiet, but you're never this quiet. What's going on, Cho?"

She looked down at the parchment she had been writing on and sighed heavily. "After you left on Saturday at the Three Broomsticks, Cedric and Bryan…well, they got into a little fight."

This caught me. "What do you mean 'little fight'?"

"Bryan said some more things about you, hurtful things, and Cedric jumped on him and began punching him. Over and over again. I was able to stop Cedric after some time, but Bryan looked pretty beat up. When he left, Cedric and I got into our own somewhat fight. Since then, we haven't talked much. I think he wants to break up with me…" and then she began crying.

I felt horrible. It's my entire fault the fight started. It could've very well been avoided if I hadn't gone crazy and decided to publicly humiliate Bryan Chase. Now, Bryan could've gotten a broken nose, Cho feels as though Cedric hates her, and Cedric, well, he doesn't seem to be affected. But I could tell by the way he acted at breakfast that he's still not cleared things up with Cho. However, Cho _needs_ to stop crying like this. It's not healthy. The part that annoyed me the most was that it was like she didn't even trust Cedric. He knows what he's doing. She has to be able to see that without worrying so much.

I walked over to where Cho was sitting and sat beside her. "Cho, don't even think like that. Cedric thinks the world of you."

"How do you know? Did he actually downright tell you?" she asked through sobs.

"Well no, but I can see the way he looks at you. There's only one thing in his eyes: love. I remember the first time he gave you that look back in fourth year. That's when I knew how he felt about you." The words stung a bit, as I remembered how sad I was when I found out he fancied Cho, not me.

"You really think so, Anna? I mean, I surely can't be the only one to notice that he's gotten distant."

"Just give him some time and he'll come around. He always does," I said as I stood up again. "But if you want a word of advice, I'd stop worrying about him. He can handle himself, Cho."

She nodded and wiped her face again. "Thanks Anna. I'm glad I have you to talk to about these things." She smiled and I did too.

"No problem. Come on, we better head down to dinner now. I'm starving and this Transfiguration homework isn't helping much." She laughed and I knew she was already feeling better.

Dinner went as per usual that night. But, when Dumbledore stood up, signalling that he was about to make an announcement, all the chatter that filled the Great Hall stopped. I stole a glance from where Cedric was sitting at the Hufflepuff table. He gave me a look that seemed to confirm my wondering if this was the important matter Snape was talking about the day before.

"Good evening, students. I hope you have all enjoyed your first couple weeks of classes this year." The hall was suddenly filled with groans, mostly from the sixth and seventh year students. The first years remained quiet, not quite used to the work to come.

"Yes, well, moving on. I regret to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not be taking place this year." Many gasps were released at this particular news. I looked over at Cedric who seemed just as upset as me. But Dumbledore continued on. "This is due to a very important, very exciting event that will be held this year starting in October. I am proud to announce that-," but he was suddenly cut off by a loud clap of thunder that echoed through the Great Hall.

Everyone immediately looked to the doors of the hall and saw a hooded man. Nobody could really tell what he looked like because of the dark lighting above the doors. He started walking, or should I say limping, towards Dumbledore who stood at the front of the room. It was then that I was able to get a good glimpse of what this man looked like: wild hair, rough skin, scarred face, messed up nose, and messed up eyes. His eyes were really the revolting part if you ask me. I mean, one was normal-looking, but the other was…weird. It was relatively large, round, and a sharp blue colour. It stuck out of its socket as the blue dot shifted rapidly until it rolled into the back of his head. _Disgusting_, I thought. And by the looks of it, I wasn't the only one who was thinking that.

The mysterious man eventually limped his way up to Dumbledore who already had a hand outstretched ready to greet him. He pulled out his own battered one from his cloak pocket and shook the headmaster's roughly. Dumbledore whispered something to him and then motioned for the man to sit in a seat off to his right. He instantly began piling up food on his plate and wolfing it all down. Turning back to face the students, Dumbledore said, "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Moody." _Oh no._ This can't be him. I surely shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but is this the best Hogwarts could do? Definitely not. I'm sure there are many other worthy professors that could be successful in teaching the class. I guess he hasn't exactly taught me yet, but just by looking at him, I can tell it's not going to go as smoothly as I'd hoped. I didn't join in the applause for the new professor, though not many other students seemed to either.

Dumbledore's booming voice filled the room once again. "Now where was I? Oh yes. I am proud to announce that this year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

Chatter immediately ensued, mostly out of excitement and whatnot. But it was an exciting event. I've only heard a little bit about it from Mr. Diggory, so I was all for Dumbledore continuing to talk.

"For those of you that do not know what this event is, it is a competition between individuals of three different schools. But only one student is chosen from each school. These will be selected out of the Goblet of Fire. Hogwarts will be competing against the schools of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Furthermore, the competition will consist of three tasks. I'm sure you're all very excited, but you should know that these tasks are set to test you. They can be dangerous, and even life-threatening, as was in past years."

I was definitely more interested now. Whether it was positive or negative interest though, I wasn't sure. Yes, I was excited that something like this was going to happen at Hogwarts, especially since it's my last year, but the "dangerous" and "life-threatening" part of it didn't sit well with me. I could only imagine what kind of tasks Dumbledore was referring to when he said that. I looked over at Cedric who appeared to be anything but concerned. He seemed to be one of those students that just shrugged off the whole "death" thing the headmaster said.

"Though I understand many of you will want to put your names forth into the Goblet of Fire, the Ministry of Magic, as well as heads of the participating schools, have imposed an age restriction this year. Only students who are of seventeen years or older will be allowed to put forward their names into the Goblet." The hall erupted with cries of protest and rage, but Dumbledore continued, this time with more volume. "It is something we thought was necessary to institute, as the tasks will be very dangerous. The likelihood of students below sixth and seventh year being able to handle the tournament's challenges is very low. Those of you underage students who think you can somehow cheat your way in to becoming the Hogwarts Champion, I suggest you do not waste your time. I, myself, will be making sure this does not happen. However, you must also remember, once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet.

"Those from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October. I strongly ask all of you to extend a special welcome to them and treat them with the utmost hospitality during their stay. I know that Hogwarts will be a great home for them for as long as they are with us. Now, seeing as though I've talked enough, enjoy your dinner!" Dumbledore sat back down and began eating his own dinner.

As the other students continued eating, I was still trying to process everything that Dumbledore had said. This tournament seemed to be a pretty big deal, and the fact that they had enforced an age limit meant that the tournament would prove to be challenging. Dumbledore said it himself. I told myself I'd read up on the history of the Tri-Wizard Tournament later in the library to get a better idea. I did know one thing though: I definitely wasn't going to enter my name. Sure, I was of age. But entering your name was almost like writing your life away on a piece of paper. Then again, what are the chances of you getting picked? It sounded like the champions that are chosen are chosen because of their qualities. I don't mean to sound negative, but I know for a fact that I'm not exactly an outstanding person who would be deserving of being a Tri-Wizard Champion.

But Cedric… if Cedric entered his name, he would surely be a worthy candidate. He's got the best qualities in all of Hogwarts, in my opinion. He always has. But that was what scared me the most. I looked at where he was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, and just as I feared, he looked happy, excited. I braced myself for the conversation to come later.

* * *

"Absolutely not," I said firmly. Cedric and I were sitting in the library together. He asked me my opinion on him entering the tournament.

"Why not Anna? I mean, I'll be of age when the time comes!" Cedric exclaimed, clearly disappointed by my disapproval.

"I don't care if you'll be of age, Ced! Hell, I'm of age and I'm not thinking of entering my name. You heard what Dumbledore said at dinner. So many people have died in the past."

"Yeah, but can you imagine what it would feel like to win? Just being chosen as a champion is reward enough," Cedric said as he smiled, thinking of what it would be like.

"So, you're _willing_ to die? I see how it is, I'll start making your grave stone. Would you like me to include your middle name on it?" Cedric laughed, but I didn't find it very funny. I was actually being dead serious.

"Anna, I'm not going to die."

"If you enter your name, it's a guarantee."

"You act like you have no faith in me."

I frowned slightly. "It's not that I don't believe in you, Cedric. It's just that… well, I don't want to see my best friend get hurt, that's all. I couldn't live with myself after if something bad happened to you." I could feel tears begin to prick at the corner of my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I was stronger than that.

Cedric smiled gently and covered my hand, which had been on the table, with his. "I'm not going to get hurt, Anna. And if it makes you sleep better at night, then I won't enter my name, no matter how much I really, _really_ want to." I knew he was trying to guilt me into changing my mind, especially with that little face he was wearing. But nothing that he did or said would've swayed me.

"Good then. I'm glad to know you're not going to enter," I said grinning at him. "Promise me you won't put your name in the goblet."

"I promise," he replied, returning the grin.

* * *

**Hope you liked Chapter 12! It took me such a long time to write, but I hope it paid off. Review and I'll update! That's how it works peepsles! **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Empty Promises and Loud Parties

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's wonderful creations. **

**Author's Note: I am SO sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. School's been busy what with exam time and all of my extra-curricular activities are finally done as summer begins. Wishing you all a great start to summer vacation! Without further ado, here's Chapter 13!**

**Cedric P.O.V.**

"I promise." Those are probably the two words I regret saying the most, now more than ever. The part that feels the most regretful is the fact that I said those two words to the one person I have not, and should not, ever keep an empty promise to… Adrianna Summers. Perhaps it was something I said in the heat of the moment or maybe it was the pressure that was eating me away inside. Either way, it's something I shouldn't have even thought of saying.

_"I am proud to announce that this year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament."_ Dumbledore's words still rang in my head. Even as I lay in bed, hours after dinner, I still can't get my thoughts to take another path. It was literally all I could think about—the glory, the fame, the pride of being a Tri-Wizard Champion. It seemed like the ultimate dream. If only it could become a reality. I don't mean to sound arrogant, cocky, any other word synonymous to those, but I think I could have a real shot at becoming the Champion of Hogwarts. I think I've proved myself well enough over these past seven years. I like to think that I've left my mark on this school. I've worked hard to do so.

Ever since my first year, I've done my absolute best to put a person worthy enough to my name. My father always told me, "A name is just a name, Ced. It's the person behind that name that's the real spectacular thing." Since he told me that when I was six years old, I've stayed true to that. Building a good person has been something I've worked towards. My whole life has basically been about making a good show, impressing people. Those people being my parents, especially my father, all of my professors, my friends, Cho, Anna… then again, Anna was one person I never really had to put any effort into impressing. She was probably the only one that believed I was already a good person. It's nice to have someone that thinks it's a waste of time to go through the trouble of becoming better.

Anyway, if it weren't for my quick tongue and special place in my heart for Anna, I wouldn't have promised her I wouldn't enter my name. I wish I could more than anything, but I gave her my word. Making an empty promise, it just didn't sit well with me, especially if that promise was to my best friend. I guess she'd support me though no matter what, and maybe she won't be as mad when she sees how worthy I am of being Champion…After all, it's something I truly and deeply desire. Anna is a considerate person and would only want me to be happy. After a very long while of debating with myself, I came to the decision that I, Cedric Diggory, would put forth my name in the Goblet of Fire.

* * *

"I'm thinking of putting my name in," I said to Cho as we were sitting by the fireplace together after dinner in the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"Really? That's great, Cedric! I have no doubts that you'll be chosen." She leaned over and gave me a light kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Cho, but the thing is, I sort of promised Anna I wouldn't." Her face turned into a slight frown as she pulled back.

"Oh, I see… well, I think you should just go with your gut instinct. I mean, if Anna cares about you as much as I think she does, she'll be supportive of whatever your decision, right?"

"That's exactly what I thought. I don't know though. Cho, I _promised_ her I wouldn't. I can't break a promise, especially if that promise was to Anna."

Cho remained silent for a bit. Why, I wasn't so sure. But she did look deep in thought. After a while, she spoke up again.

"Look Cedric, the way I see it, Anna should be happy for you in either case."

"Yeah, but what happens if she isn't? What happens if when she finds out the truth, she never wants to talk to me again?"

Cho chuckled. "You're blowing things out of proportion! Anna's your best friend. She'll be happy for you."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry for having to bring it up." I felt bad about always having to vent, complain, and ask Cho for help with these things. But she is my girlfriend, so I guess it's part of being in a relationship.

"Don't even worry about it. I know how much your friendship with Anna means to you. And if it makes you feel better, I won't mention it to her. Entering your name, I mean."

"Thank you so much Cho." I leaned over and kissed her. She placed her hands at the sides of my face and deepened the kiss. We carried on through the rest of the night until we fell asleep right there on the couch in the Common Room.

* * *

I woke up to the sun shining in my face. I could feel Cho's light breathing on my chest. She was still sound asleep. Thankfully, nobody was in the Common Room at that time. It seemed pretty early because I didn't hear any hustle and bustle yet. I was able to get up off the couch while still managing to not wake up Cho from her sleeping position. I was ready to leave when I heard someone call my name.

"Cedric?" It was Anna. When I turned to face her, I was quite taken aback. Anna's long brown hair was dripping wet and the only thing she had on her body were a black bra and underwear.

"Merlin Anna! What, what are you, um, doing here?" I cleared my throat trying to avoid awkwardness. Sure, I'd seen Anna wearing a bathing suit plenty of times, but this was different. I tried focusing my gaze on the floor, the paintings on the walls, even Cho who was still sleeping, but I found myself not being able to look away from my best friend.

"What am I doing here?" She laughed. "Last time I checked, this was the _Ravenclaw_ Common Room. That is, for Ravenclaws only. But," she quickly glanced at Cho, "it appears that you had a good enough reason to spend the night." She placed her hand on her hips and looked me over. She seemed to be taking in my appearance which I could imagine didn't exactly look innocent.

"Yes, well, you see…" Before I could even finish, Anna cut me off.

"I don't need the details!" she said abruptly.

I chuckled but still found myself not being able to look away from Anna whose hair was still soaked and whose body was only covered in so much clothing. I did my best to avoid looking at her perfectly tanned skin, her long slender legs, and her tiny waist. After sharing a laugh, we locked eyes, green clashing with grey again, and it seemed like forever that we just stood there, gazing at the other. I took note of the blush that crept into her cheeks. I cleared my throat and we both looked away.

"Care to explain yourself?"

"Me? Are you actually being serious? I come downstairs to find you getting up from your long night with your girlfriend!"

"Yeah, but you come down nearly naked for Merlin's sake!"

"So? I was just took a shower if you didn't notice."

"You could've at least gotten fully changed! Why'd you come downstairs anyway?"

"I heard footsteps and it was too early for anyone to be awake, especially on a weekend morning. So I decided to check if things were alright."

"In only your undergarments?" I raised my eyebrows at her knowingly and grinned.

"That's beside the point. At least now I know there's not a frickin' mass murderer on the loose in my Common Room."

I laughed and she joined in. Soon, we were both laughing, not even caring if Cho was still asleep.

I began chasing Anna around as if I was a mass murderer. It felt like we were little kids again, still innocent without a care in the world. As we were running around, I tried my best to keep my footsteps light because of Cho, but I couldn't help it. I was able to catch up to Anna and I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep her from running again. I was unaware that my foot has accidentally caught on the rug underneath. Before I knew it, I landed right on the floor and had managed to drag down Anna with me. She fell right on my chest. My hands subconsciously went to her waist and it was as if time stopped.

Words cannot describe how I felt right then and there. Sure, our position was inappropriate, especially with what Anna was wearing and the fact that my girlfriend was within ten feet of us sleeping. But does it make sense that having Anna so close to me, in this state, felt right? Like I'd be happy if the world ended then? No, it couldn't be. I have a beautiful girlfriend that loves and cares about me just as much as I do her. Anna was just my best friend. Nothing more and nothing less. But every time I looked in her eyes, I just got a weird feeling inside. Those gorgeous, breathtaking green eyes that seemed to sparkle even more every time I saw her. Her long brown hair, though still dripping wet, cascaded in damp waves down her back, and her lips, so full and exquisite, were slightly parted. It was like all those memories from third year were coming back.

Anna herself looked to be as confused and at a loss for words as I was. We simply stared at each other for an eternity of time, not saying anything, just staring. What she was thinking, I had no clue. It was like we both knew we should get up, but neither of us could bring ourselves to do it. That is, until we heard a slight cough.

"Anna? Cedric?" Perfect timing for Cho to wake up. In lightning speed, Anna shot up to a standing position, myself not far behind.

"Cho, you're awake!" Anna stuttered out a short laugh, making things even more awkward.

"Yeah, I heard some laughing and running around," she said quietly.

"Oh, um sorry about that," Anna apologized. She turned to face me, as if expecting me to say something. It was about time I stepped in anyway.

"Anna and I were goofing around as usual. We're both sincerely sorry for waking you from your sleep." Cho gave a small smile after I finished talking, but she still held a look of doubt. I don't really blame her though, seeing that Anna was half-dressed.

Cho couldn't seem to divert her eyes from Anna's not-so conservative appearance. She would occasionally glance at me, too. I knew she wasn't stupid. She obviously suspected something happened between Anna and I while she was asleep.

"It really wasn't anything, Cho. I promise." I tried reassuring her.

"For sure, Ced. It's okay. I trust you both. I know nothing happened," Cho said sweetly. I know she tried her hardest to make her argument convincing. I looked over at Anna whose gaze was focused solely on the ground.

I decided to take Cho in my arms, wrapping mine around her petite frame. She looked up at me with loving eyes and placed her hands on my chest. I bent down and closed the distance between us. Cho kissed back deeply and I thought for a second we would have round two of last night. Anna coughed uncomfortably and Cho and I immediately broke apart from our snogging.

"I should probably head back upstairs. I guess I'll see you guys at breakfast later." As Anna was on her way up the stairs, she quickly glanced at me. She seemed to be contemplating something before shaking her head and continuing to make her way up the stairs.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Cho chuckled.

"Indeed. Oh, I almost forgot, Derrick and the other guys are throwing a party in a couple weeks. They're practically proclaiming it to the whole world. You and Anna should come. I'm sure it'll be a blast."

"For sure! I'll run it by Anna later. She'll probably be up for it though."

"Sounds good. But I should go. I'll see you at breakfast." I walked up to her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before exiting the Common Room.

* * *

October 30th, the day those from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were coming, arrived quicker than anyone could've imagined. The ladies from Beauxbatons came in a flying carriage with Pegasuses. The men from Durmstrang emerged from a pirate-like ship out of the Black Lake. All in all, the students at Hogwarts were pretty impressed with their presentation.

The food at the feast that night was exceptional as always. Dumbledore welcomed the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and they came in when their names were called. Of course, the entire male population, minus myself for the most part, got ten times more excited when the girls from Beauxbatons entered the room. They must be part Veela because girls cannot be that perfect. I thought about this for a moment and looked to the Ravenclaw table, and came to the conclusion that perfection is really in the eye of the beholder.

When the lads from Durmstrang came in, every girl practically fainted, especially when Viktor Krum strode confidently in. I saw Anna from where I was sitting with a huge smile on her face the whole while. I knew how much she adored the Bulgarian Quidditch player and couldn't help but smile myself.

After the feast, I was able to meet up with Anna outside the Great Hall. She was still wearing that big, beautiful smile on her face.

"Did you see him, Ced?! Merlin I was ten feet away from _the_ Viktor Krum!"

I chuckled to myself. "Yes, yes I saw you Anna."

"Those girls from Beauxbatons are pretty attractive. You better keep your eyes on your _own_ girlfriend while they're here," she said and winked at me.

"Oh of course. But it can't hurt if I sneak a peek every once in a while," I joked which only earned me a slap on the arm.

"Your _girlfriend_," she emphasized the word, "told me about Derrick's party next week. Count us in," she said with a grin.

"Great! It'll be a good time."

"I'm sure. But I should get back to the Common Room. It's getting pretty late and we don't want a repeat of what happened in second year with Percy Weasley when we snuck out past curfew."

I smiled at the memory. "Never. Lucky that you get to sleep soon though. I have Prefect duties to attend to."

"I'm glad I'm not Hogwarts Golden Boy. It's just too much work," she said with a silly smile as she walked away, to which I could only chuckle and shake my head as I headed in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Come on, Ced! Put it in already!" Derrick and the other guys were cheering me on to put my name in the goblet. I crossed the age line Dumbledore set. I closed my eyes for a moment. _This is it Cedric. There's no backing out after this. It's your time. _I opened my eyes and placed my name in, and the goblet swallowed it with a sharp hiss. The guys all started yelling and screaming, and I caught sight of Cho who gave me a big smile. My thoughts suddenly went to what Anna's reaction would be like. _It's okay, Cedric. She'll support your decision. She always does. _My conscience was right. Anna would be happy for me.

* * *

Derrick's party came pretty fast, too. Even though I was Head Boy and a Prefect, I didn't mind bending the rules a little. After all, it's not like us Hufflepuffs threw outrageous parties every week.

By eight o'clock, the party was in full-swing. The music was blaring, the place was packed with people dancing (some of the more "out there" girls in provocative ways), and the distinct smell of firewhisky was laced in the air. Personally, I didn't like the thought of alcohol. I never tried the stuff in my life, and I didn't plan on it anytime soon. Half these people were drunk and I wanted to be part of the still sober half.

"Great party eh mate?" Derrick roughly patted my back and I could tell he had a few drinks from a mile away.

"Sure is. Promise me you'll lay off the firewhisky though. You can barely stand up!"

"Yeah, course." His voice was slurred, and before I could say anything else, he went off to dance with some girls from Slytherin.

I was able to spot Cho from across the room. She seemed to be alone, which was weird because usually she'd be with Anna. I took the opportunity to keep her company.

"Hey." It turned out to be more of a shout because of the loud atmosphere.

"Hey." Her voice was just as loud. It proved to be quite a challenge though, especially for a usually quiet person like Cho.

"Why are you alone? Where's Anna?"

"I'm not one for loud parties like this. And I lost Anna a while ago. I have no clue where she went. But she's probably around here somewhere."

"Yeah you're right. But I should probably go look for her. I don't trust some people around here. I mean, I could stay with you if you want…" I felt bad about ditching my own girlfriend to look for Anna, but what I said was true. I really didn't trust some of the blokes at this party.

"No, no. Go ahead. She is your best friend of course," Cho said with a sweet smile.

"Thanks," I said as I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

I pushed my way through the crowd, frequently bumping into sweaty bodies that were so engrossed in dancing and very, very frequently passing by two people that were heartily snogging. Merlin, who knew Hufflepuff parties could get so out of control. I kept an eye out for Anna, but finding her was impossible in such a place.

After about fifteen minutes of doing laps around the room, I finally caught sight of Anna's long brown hair, which tonight, had been curled. She was surrounded by a group of guys, the kind of guys that I didn't trust and that I knew would take advantage of her if given the chance. Among these guys were Marcus Flint and Roger Davies. I could only see Anna from behind. She was wearing a short, and I mean _short_, denim skirt with a black strapless top. She may be my best friend, but what she was wearing was practically an invitation for those boys, if you know what I mean. I already started making my way towards her, but seeing Marcus Flint place his hand on her lower back made me almost break into a sprint.

"Anna, what are you doing?" I gave the other boys hard glares.

"What does it look like? I'm enjoying the party!" She screamed and threw her hands in the air like a maniac. It was then that I smelled the firewhisky. I knew she had been drinking.

"You've been drinking. How many have you had?"

She giggled and I noticed that her voice became about two octaves higher. "Just three."

The alcohol had definitely taken over. I cared deeply for the well-being of my best friend. And right now, her being wasn't so well. She wasn't herself. But I guess that's what several bottles of firewhisky does to you.

"Anna, let's go. We need to get you out of this place."

"Oh shove off, Diggory," I turned to face Marcus Flint who now had a mischievous smile on his face. "She just wants to have a little fun." I noticed his hand slid down that much further on her back.

"She's drunk! Of course she wants to have fun. She doesn't know what the hell she's even doing!"

His voice got dangerously low as he leaned in close just so that I would be the only one to hear what he was saying. "Makes it all the more easier to get what I want." When he pulled away, I saw a certain look in his eye. What was it? Lust.

He began pulling Anna with him in the opposite direction, away from myself and the other boys. Actually, when I took the chance to look around, the other boys had scattered into separate parts of the party, including Roger Davies, who was now snogging Harriet Cartwright on one of the couches. Remembering what the important matter was, I grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her back. Flint didn't look too happy.

"Oy, Diggory! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Don't do this to her Flint. She deserves better than that." I pulled, no yanked, Anna towards me. She stumbled and needed my arm around her waist to help her stand up. When I looked into her usually beautiful eyes, I saw that they had been clouded by the alcohol. She seemed to be in a daze, and she'd been wearing a silly smile since I saw her.

"Bet you just want this one all to yourself huh? Don't think people don't know about your little row with Bryan Chase. News gets around."

I let go of Anna's hand and I stepped up to him. I stood a couple inches taller than him. "You need to leave Flint. Nobody wants you here. Now go, before things get worse," I said darkly.

He narrowed his eyes at me, and for a second, I thought he was going to throw a punch. To my surprise, he stepped back. "Fine Diggory. This party was boring me to tears actually. And Pansy's a willing participant anyway," he said as he walked away and out of the Common Room.

I turned back around to face Anna, still with that same innocent look on her face. I took her hand and began leading her up the stairs. "You need to get some rest. Come on, we're going upstairs."

"Ooh, upstairs! I love upstairs! Where's upstairs? I hope there are nice people in upstairs," she said as she giggled uncontrollably. She could barely make it up the first few steps, so I ended up carrying her all the way up. All the while, she'd play with the collar of my shirt or draw circles on my chest. I have to admit, I felt a little uncomfortable considering it was my best friend. But she was hardly stable and she needed help.

I set her down gently on my bed. For the next half hour or so, she started pouncing around like a lion, pretending to fly occasionally. She'd ask me such random questions about unicorns and rainbows. Merlin, I couldn't stand another drunk Anna. Never again would she have three bottles firewhisky. At least, not on my watch.

She finally stood up off the bed and managed to stumble her way to the door. I was quick enough to catch up to her before she could go anywhere. She was able to open the door the slightest crack.

"No Anna. You're staying here. I'm not letting you go back out there," I said as I picked her up and slung her over my shoulders. I placed her back on my bed.

She giggled while playfully tapping my back. Was she trying to act flirtatious? "Ceedrriic," her voice was still slurred, "put me down!"

When I put her back on my bed, I plopped down beside her out of pure exhaust. Keeping the party under control was one thing, but keeping Anna who was drunk was another thing. I really was tired. It had been a long day and recent events weren't exactly proving to be relaxing. My thoughts were interrupted when, out of nowhere, Anna rolls on top of me and begins drawing circles again on my chest. My eyes widened to the point where I felt like they were going to fall out of my head.

"You're very handsome, you know that?" She said with a sly smile on her face.

I coughed uncomfortably. This was my best friend for crying out loud! "Yes, um, thank you I suppose."

"Do you like having fun? I like having fun. We can have fun together." She still had that mischievous look on her face. I knew she would remember nothing of this in the morning.

"That's not such a good idea, you see. I…uh…" It was hard not to stutter in this kind of awkward situation.

She stuck her lips out in a pout, which I found annoyingly adorable. "Come on Cedric. Is it because I'm not pretty enough like Cho?"

What the hell? She can't possibly think she's ugly. Then again, she can't really think because she's so drunk. Everything that's come out of her mouth has been complete rubbish. And comparing herself to Cho… I have enough moral sense to not even put so much thought into that. "Anna, you're beautiful. But this is all just wrong. I mean, I know you're drunk and you probably won't remember any of this by tomorrow, but we're _best friends, _not lovers."

She kept playing with my collar. Eventually, her hands began moving down my shirt and I noticed then that she had started undoing the buttons. "But I want to be both." And with that she pressed her lips to mine.

I could feel my eyes opening even wider with every second, every millisecond of the kiss. Anna stopped undoing the buttons of my shirt and instead, moved her hands to rest on the sides of my face. _This is so freaking weird, _I thought. The weirdest part about it though, was that no matter how wrong or inappropriate the entire situation was, I couldn't bring myself to pull away or break the kiss. Anna was soon deepening the kiss, my eyes closing, and our lips moving in perfect sync with each other. My hands found their way to her hips. I lost track of time, of how long this was all lasting. My mind had been clouded by the feeling, the taste of Anna's lips. Her lips tasted like vanilla.

The kiss had now become more rough and passionate as our tongues battled for dominance. Anna's hands moved to my neck and mine moved up her back to tangle in her long, silky brown hair. My mind had officially become overthrown. I literally couldn't think or process anything. I was having a full-out snog session with my best friend. _My best friend._ What was I doing? I had a girlfriend that I hardly even got this from. Oh Cho… I couldn't do this. It wasn't right, no matter how right it might've felt at the time.

I unwillingly (which I thought was incredibly odd) broke the snogging and Anna looked at me with confused eyes. "Anna, we… we can't do this. It's not right. I have a girlfriend who happens to be a very close friend of yours. We just can't do this." I gently pushed her off of me to which she surprisingly complied, though I saw the look of disappointment on her face.

"It's fine. You're too good of a person." Her serious tone made me wonder if the alcohol had worn off already. I looked in her eyes and saw that some of the realness was coming back. But I was surely mistaken. She wouldn't have kept kissing me if she wasn't still drunk right?

After an awkward few minutes of silence, I felt her get up from the bed. "Anna, lie back down. You need to rest. You're not going back downstairs," I said firmly.

"No, I'm not-" but before she could finish what she was saying, she grabbed the waste basket next to my bed and emptied her stomach. It pained me to see her like this. I took the liberty of kneeling down next to her and holding her hair back. I noticed she had a hair tie on her wrist, so I took it and tied her hair back in a ponytail.

For the next hour, I kept rubbing her back and trying to calm her down. Somewhere in my mind though, I couldn't rid myself of the thought of us kissing. It was definitely wrong, but deep down, it felt… good. And even though I know she was drunk for all of it, I was sure she felt it too. My thoughts were stirred when I heard Anna speak.

"Cedric?" She croaked weakly.

"Yes Anna?"

"I think I'm better now. I need to freshen up."

"Alright, well you can use the bathroom. I'm sure no one's in there."

"Okay, I'll be back."

She was gone for about fifteen minutes and when she came back, she immediately smelled and looked better, though you could tell she'd been drinking. I noticed her hair was still tied back in the ponytail I did. She plopped down on the bed as soon as she came in.

"I'm exhausted. My head's killing me," she groaned.

"Same here. And this music isn't helping either."

"I'm gonna sleep. Thanks though for everything," she said, but her words were still loosely laced together.

"No problem. Just rest," I said. She moved closer to me, leaning her back against the headboard of my bed. She then rested her head on my shoulder before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

I looked to the sleeping girl that was resting on my shoulder and realized how beautiful she looked even when she wasn't awake. Her long, full eyelashes fluttered every so often when she'd breathe in and out softly. Even though the music was still playing insanely loud, it felt quiet in my room because Anna was with me. I carefully reached my arm around her to take out the hair tie to let her hair fall loose. It cascaded whimsically around her shoulders. I kept my arm around her shoulder and leaned my head against hers, breathing in her scent. _Strawberry cream, she hasn't changed her perfume since the first time I met her._ I smiled to myself, thinking of how far we've come in our friendship this year. Now, with me entering the tournament, what would happen if I was actually chosen? It made me realize how much I'd need her, and in turn, how much she'd need me.

* * *

**Please read and leave a review! It'd make my job a whole lot easier! **


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